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Item response theory (IRT) is an important method of assessing the validity of measurement scales that is underutilized in the field of psychiatry. IRT describes the relationship between a latent trait (e.g., the construct that the scale proposes to assess), the properties of the items in the scale, and respondents' answers to the individual items. This paper introduces the basic premise, assumptions, and methods of IRT. To help explain these concepts we generate a hypothetical scale using three items from a modified, binary (yes/no) response version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale that was administered to 19,399 respondents. We first conducted a factor analysis to confirm the unidimensionality of the three items and then proceeded with Mplus software to construct the 2-Parameter Logic (2-PL) IRT model of the data, a method which allows for estimates of both item discrimination and item difficulty. The utility of this information both for clinical purposes and for scale construction purposes is discussed.

Background: Previous studies have shown that local anesthetics may induce apoptosis in some cell types. In this study, we investigated the apoptotic effects of local anesthetics in human breast tumor cells., Methods: Human breast cancer (MCF-7) and mammary epithelial (MCF-10A) cell lines were treated with lidocaine and/or bupivacaine. Cell viability, DNA fragmentation, and annexin V immunofluorescence staining were assessed. The effects on apoptosis-related protein expression were investigated by Western blot analysis. The findings were extended to studies in an in vivo xenograft model., Results: Treatment of breast tumor cells with lidocaine and bupivacaine resulted in inhibition of cell viability via induction of apoptosis. The effects were more prominent in MCF-7 cells than in MCF-10A cells. Treatment with local anesthetics induced caspase 7, 8, 9, and poly ADP-ribose polymerase cleavage. The cleavage of caspase 7 and poly ADP-ribose polymerase induced by local anesthetics were effectively blocked by caspase inhibitors. Furthermore, treatment of MCF-7 xenografts with local anesthetics resulted in higher expression of cleaved caspase 7 and an increase in terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining., Conclusion: Lidocaine and bupivacaine induce apoptosis of breast tumor cells at clinically relevant concentrations. Our results reveal previously unrecognized beneficial actions of local anesthetics and call for further studies to assess the oncologic advantages of their use during breast cancer surgery.

Background: The mechanisms linking falls and depression are still unknown. The aim of the study is to examine the association between depression and antidepressants, with indoor and outdoor falls, and to investigate how antidepressants mediate this relationship., Methods: The study included 763 men and women aged 70 and older with baseline measures for depression and antidepressant use are captured with prospective data on falls from the "Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect and Zest in the Elderly" (MOBILIZE) Boston study, which is a population-based longitudinal study (from 2005 to 2009)., Results: Overall, the rate of falls was 26 falls/100 person-years. Seventeen percent of participants had clinically significant depressive symptoms (CSDS), and 12% used antidepressants. CSDS increased the risk of indoor and outdoor falls (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 1.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.2-2.3, p < .01; IRR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.2-2.2, p < .01). Antidepressant use increased the risk of outdoor falls by 70% and partially mediated the association between CSDS and outdoor falls (IRR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.2-2.5, p < .05). There was no relationship between antidepressant use and indoor falls. Similar results were observed when depression was considered as a continuous variable., Conclusions: Depression increased the risk of indoor and outdoor falls. Antidepressant use among older adults with CSDS increased the risk of outdoor, but not indoor falls. Clinicians should carefully consider the role of antidepressants among older adults with CSDS and their potential increase for the risk of outdoor falls.

Free-space quantum communication with satellites opens a promising avenue for global secure quantum network and large-scale test of quantum foundations. Recently, numerous experimental efforts have been carried out towards this ambitious goal. However, one essential step--transmitting single photons from the satellite to the ground with high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at realistic environments--remains experimental challenging. Here, we report a direct experimental demonstration of the satellite-ground transmission of a quasi-single-photon source. In the experiment, single photons (~0.85 photon per pulse) are generated by reflecting weak laser pulses back to earth with a cube-corner retro-reflector on the satellite CHAMP, collected by a 600-mm diameter telescope at the ground station, and finally detected by single-photon counting modules after 400-km free-space link transmission. With the help of high accuracy time synchronization, narrow receiver field-of-view and high-repetition-rate pulses (76 MHz), a SNR of better than 16:1 is obtained, which is sufficient for a secure quantum key distribution. Our experimental results represent an important step towards satellite-ground quantum communication.

The development of a complete set of extensive studies combining both the preparation factors of catalysts and photocatalytic experimental factors for the photodegradation of methylene blue, crystal violet, and Congo red using effective nano zinc oxide (ZnO) obtained from polysaccharides (chitosans, corn starch, and sodium alginate) as chelating agents was the main objective of this study. The influence of nature of polysaccharides, ratio of reactants, calcination temperatures during preparation process, and effects of photocatalytic experimental conditions on photodegradation was investigated. Corn starch and sodium alginate were found to be effective chelating agents and optimum preparation parameters were set as 3:3 % ratio of reactants and 450 °C calcination temperature to prepare nano ZnO with good photocatalytic activity. The order of organic dyes based on their photodegradation rates was arranged as crystal violet > methylene blue > Congo red. Our findings shed light on the optimization of both preparation conditions of photocatalysts and photocatalytic experimental conditions.

Objective: To investigate the chemical constituents of Euphorbia helioscopia and their antitumor activities., Methods: Normal phase silica gel, RP-18 silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatographies combined with recrystallization were used to isolate and purify the constituents. Their structures were identifided by spectroscopic methods, including 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, ESI-MS and EI-MS. And the antitumor activities of some of chemical constituents in vitro were detected by sulphorhodamine B protein staining., Results: Nine compounds were isolated and their structures were identified as euphohelioscopin A (1), euphoscopin (2), 9, 19-cyclolanost-23E-ene-3, 25-diol (3), euphoscopin C (4), euphornin A (5), euphoheliosnoid A (6), ent-kaurane-3-oxo-16beta, 17-diol (7), 9, 19-cyclolanost-25-ene-3beta, 22-diol (8) and helioscopinolide A(9) Compound 9 showed effect on inhibiting the cell proliferations of MCF-7 cell line., Conclusion: Compounds 3, 7, 8 and 9 are obtained from this plant for the first time, and compound 9 shows the potential antitumor activity.

Total suspended particles (TSP), collected during a typical haze period in Guangzhou, were analyzed for the fatty acids (C12-C30) and low molecular weight dicarboxylic acids (C3-C9) using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The results showed that the concentration of total fatty and carboxylic acids was pretty high during the haze episode. The ratios of fatty acids and carboxylic acids in haze to those in normal days were 1.9 and 2.5, respectively. During the episode of the increasing pollution, the fatty acids and carboxylic acids at night (653 ng x m(-3)) was higher than that (487 ng x m(-3)) in days. After that, the level of fatty acids and carboxylic acids in days (412 ng x m(-3)) was higher than that (336 ng x m(-3)) at night. In general, the time-series of fatty acids and carboxylic acids was similar to that of the air particle and carbonaceous species, however, the trend of the ratio of fatty acids and carboxylic acids to organic carbon was opposite to that of air particle and carbonaceous species. This ratio decreased with the increase of the concentration of air particle and after the night of 27th, the ratio increased with the decrease in the concentration of air particle. The results showed that haze pollution had a significant inhibitory effect on the enrichment of fatty and carboxylic acids. Based on the ratio of malonate to succinate (C3/C4), it could be found that primary sources contribute more to the atmospheric fatty and carboxylic acids during the autumn haze pollution periods in Guangzhou.

Two new mono- and four new dimeric alkenylphenols, namely sarmentosumols A to F (1-6), were isolated from the aerial parts of Piper sarmentosum. The structures of these compounds were determined through a detailed analysis of NMR and MS data. Their antimicrobial activity against Escherichia coli, Staphyloccocus aureus, and Candida albicans, and their cytotoxic activity against human myeloid leukemia (K562) and human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) cell lines were also evaluated. Except for sarmentosumol A (1), whose MIC on S. aureus was reported to be 7.0 µg/mL, none of the other newly discovered compounds exhibited antimicrobial property. The studied compounds did not possess any cytotoxic property., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

A new complex natural product with a C39 skeleton, named nudibaccatumone, and the known sesquiterpenes (+)-spathulenol, (-)-4β,10α-aromadendranediol, and ent-T-muurolol, as well as the phenylpropanoid hydroxychavicol, were isolated from the aerial parts of Piper nudibaccatum. The structure and absolute configuration of nudibaccatumone were elucidated using spectroscopic methods and ECD calculations. A 1,8-Michael addition reaction and an intermolecular, inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction are proposed as the key steps in the biosynthesis of nudibaccatumone.

Background: Delirium (acute confusion), is a common, morbid, and costly complication of acute illness in older adults. Yet, researchers and clinicians lack short, efficient, and sensitive case identification tools for delirium. Though the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) is the most widely used algorithm for delirium, the existing assessments that operationalize the CAM algorithm may be too long or complicated for routine clinical use. Item response theory (IRT) models help facilitate the development of short screening tools for use in clinical applications or research studies. This study utilizes IRT to identify a reduced set of optimally performing screening indicators for the four CAM features of delirium., Methods: Older adults were screened for enrollment in a large scale delirium study conducted in Boston-area post-acute facilities (n = 4,598). Trained interviewers conducted a structured delirium assessment that culminated in rating the presence or absence of four features of delirium based on the CAM. A pool of 135 indicators from established cognitive testing and delirium assessment tools were assigned by an expert panel into two indicator sets per CAM feature representing (a) direct interview questions, including cognitive testing, and (b) interviewer observations. We used IRT models to identify the best items to screen for each feature of delirium., Results: We identified 10 dimensions and chose up to five indicators per dimension. Preference was given to items with peak psychometric information in the latent trait region relevant for screening for delirium. The final set of 48 indicators, derived from 39 items, maintains fidelity to clinical constructs of delirium and maximizes psychometric information relevant for screening., Conclusions: We identified optimal indicators from a large item pool to screen for delirium. The selected indicators maintain fidelity to clinical constructs of delirium while maximizing psychometric information important for screening. This reduced item set facilitates development of short screening tools suitable for use in clinical applications or research studies. This study represents the first step in the establishment of an item bank for delirium screening with potential questions for clinical researchers to select from and tailor according to their research objectives.

We provide rigorous psychometric evidence for distinct patterns of cognitive impairment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and cerebral infarctions using 440 participants from the Religious Order Study. Latent variable models were used to decompose the effects of AD pathology and cerebral infarctions assessed at autopsy on overall cognition and specific neuropsychological tests at one and five years prior to death. Results support clinical and univariate psychometric analyses that memory impairment is more pronounced in AD, and executive impairment is more pronounced in the presence of cerebral infarctions. These specific effects are subtle relative to the stronger associations of both AD neuropathology and cerebral infarctions with overall levels of cognitive impairment.

Accurate measurement of cognitive function is critical for understanding the disease course of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Detecting cognitive change over time can be confounded by level of premorbid intellectual function or cognitive reserve and lead to under- or over-diagnosis of cognitive impairment and AD. Statistical models of cognitive performance that include cognitive reserve can improve sensitivity to change and clinical efficacy. We used confirmatory factor analysis to test a four-factor model composed of memory/language, processing speed/executive function, attention, and cognitive reserve factors in a group of cognitively healthy older adults and a group of participants along the spectrum of amnestic mild cognitive impairment to AD (aMCI-AD). The model showed excellent fit for the control group (χ(2) = 100; df = 78; CFI = .962; RMSEA = .049) and adequate fit for the aMCI-AD group (χ(2) = 1750; df = 78; CFI = .932; RMSEA = .085). Although strict invariance criteria were not met, invariance testing to determine if factor structures are similar across groups yielded acceptable absolute model fits and provide evidence in support of configural, metric, and scalar invariance. These results provide further support for the construct validity of cognitive reserve in healthy and memory impaired older adults.

Objective: To study the protection of Corn Shuang on hyperlipidemic rats vascular wall and its mechanism of action., Methods: Thirty Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group and test group (n = 10). Feeding rats according to the experiment requirement, after 15 weeks,the content of lipids, superoxide dismutase (SOD), serum glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were measured in each group rats serum, morphological changes of rat aortic wall tissue were observed by light microscopy., Results: The concentration of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and MDA increased significantly in model group (P < 0.01), the concentration of high density lipoprotein (HDL-C), SOD, GSH-Px, NO and NOS decreased significantly (P < 0.01); Corn Shuang could reduce the concentration of TC, TG, LDL-C and MDA in hyperlipidemia rats serum (P < 0.01), promote the content of HDL-C, SOD, GSH-Px, NO and NOS (P < 0.01); Aortic wall showed typical atherosclerotic lesion in model group; Corn shuang could improve significantly damages of artery wall., Conclusion: Corn Shuang had obvious protective effect on the vessel wall, its mechanism might be related to regulation of blood lipid, antioxidant, maintenance of NO metabolism.

Complexation of 2,7-dipyridin-2-ylnaphthyridine (bpnp) with a mixture of (PhCN)(2)PdCl(2) and Pd(2)(dba)(3) resulted in the formation of a water soluble and air-stable tripalladium cluster [Pd(3)(bpnp)(2)Cl(2)]Cl(2), which was characterized by NMR spectroscopic and X-ray crystallographic analyses.

The authors examined the impact of race/ethnicity on responses to the Everyday Discrimination Scale, one of the most widely used discrimination scales in epidemiologic and public health research. Participants were 3,295 middle-aged US women (African-American, Caucasian, Chinese, Hispanic, and Japanese) from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) baseline examination (1996-1997). Multiple-indicator, multiple-cause models were used to examine differential item functioning (DIF) on the Everyday Discrimination Scale by race/ethnicity. After adjustment for age, education, and language of interview, meaningful DIF was observed for 3 (out of 10) items: "receiving poorer service in restaurants or stores," "being treated as if you are dishonest," and "being treated with less courtesy than other people" (all P's < 0.001). Consequently, the "profile" of everyday discrimination differed slightly for women of different racial/ethnic groups, with certain "public" experiences appearing to have more salience for African-American and Chinese women and "dishonesty" having more salience for racial/ethnic minority women overall. "Courtesy" appeared to have more salience for Hispanic women only in comparison with African-American women. Findings suggest that the Everyday Discrimination Scale could potentially be used across racial/ethnic groups as originally intended. However, researchers should use caution with items that demonstrated DIF.

Twelve isoquinoline alkaloids including two new nitro-containing tetrahydroprotoberberines, (-)-2,9-dihydroxyl-3,11-dimethoxy-1,10-dinitrotetrahydroprotoberberine (1) and (+)-4-nitroisoapocavidine (2), were isolated from the whole plant of Corydalis saxicola Bunting. The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis and chemical evidence. The inhibitory activity of these isolates against cholinesterase and canine parvovirus were evaluated. Compounds 1 and 1A, (+)-1-nitroapocavidine (5), berberine (8), palmatine (9), dehydrocavidine (10), and sanguinarine (11) showed potent inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase with IC(50) values of less than 10 µM, while only compound 1 possessed weak activity against canine parvovirus. Structure-activity studies demonstrated that the nitro substituents at ring A in the tetrahydroprotoberberines led to an increase in the anti-acetylcholinesterase activity., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in Foshan City were investigated in December 6 to 30 2008. The concentrations of VOCs in haze days were significantly higher than those in no-haze days. Toluene (68.93 microg x m(-3) +/- 37.78 microg x m(-3)) was the most abundant compound of VOCs in haze days and i-pentane (20.59 microg x m(-3) +/- 14.28 microg x m(-3)) was the most abundant compound in no-haze days, respectively. During haze episodes, the diurnal variations of alkanes and alkynes were not significantly; however, alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbon decreased significantly at noon. During no-haze episodes, the diurnal variations patterns of VOCs were stable. Propylene-equivalent concentrations in haze days were significantly higher than those in no-haze days, toluene was the most abundant compound of Propylene-equivalent concentration in haze days, followed by propene and ethene; propene was the most abundant compound in no-haze days, followed by ethene and 1-butene. High concentration of benzene (18.1 microg x m(-3)) in haze days posed a great health threat to public in Foshan city. Both diurnal variation of VOCs and measured ratios indicated vehicular emissions acted as the main sources of most VOCs and other sources like solvent application also contributed to VOCs (benzene and toluene).

Background: studies of cognitive ageing at the group level suggest that age is associated with cognitive decline; however, there may be individual differences such that not all older adults will experience cognitive decline., Objective: to evaluate patterns of cognitive decline in a cohort of older adults initially free of dementia., Design, Setting and Subjects: elderly Catholic clergy members participating in the Religious Orders Study were followed for up to 15 years. Cognitive performance was assessed annually., Methods: performance on a composite global measure of cognition was analysed using random effects models for baseline performance and change over time. A profile mixture component was used to identify subgroups with different cognitive trajectories over the study period., Results: from a sample of 1,049 participants (mean age 75 years), three subgroups were identified based on the distribution of baseline performance and change over time. The majority (65%) of participants belonged to a slow decline class that did not experience substantial cognitive decline over the observation period [-0.04 baseline total sample standard deviation (SD) units/year]. About 27% experienced moderate decline (-0.19 SD/year), and 8% belonged to a class experiencing rapid decline (-0.57 SD/year). A subsample analysis revealed that when substantial cognitive decline does occur, the magnitude and rate of decline is correlated with neuropathological processes., Conclusions: in this sample, the most common pattern of cognitive decline is extremely slow, perceptible on a time scale measured by decades, not years. While in need of cross validation, these findings suggest that cognitive changes associated with ageing may be minimal and emphasise the importance of understanding the full range of age-related pathologies that may diminish brain function.

Object naming tests are commonly included in neuropsychological test batteries. Differential item functioning (DIF) in these tests due to cultural and language differences may compromise the validity of cognitive measures in diverse populations. We evaluated 26 object naming items for DIF due to Spanish and English language translations among Latinos ( n =1,159), mean age of 70.5 years old (Standard Deviation ( SD )±7.2), using the following four item response theory -based approaches: Mplus/Multiple Indicator, Multiple Causes (Mplus/MIMIC; Muthén & Muthén, 1998-2011), Item Response Theory Likelihood Ratio Differential Item Functioning (IRTLRDIF/MULTILOG; Thissen, 1991, 2001), difwithpar/Parscale (Crane, Gibbons, Jolley, & van Belle, 2006; Muraki & Bock, 2003), and Differential Functioning of Items and Tests/MULTILOG (DFIT/MULTILOG; Flowers, Oshima, & Raju, 1999; Thissen, 1991). Overall, there was moderate to near perfect agreement across methods. Fourteen items were found to exhibit DIF and 5 items observed consistently across all methods, which were more likely to be answered correctly by individuals tested in Spanish after controlling for overall ability.

In a bioassay-guided search for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors from Chinese natural resources, eight isoquinoline alkaloids, tetrahydropalmatine (1), corydaline (2), protopine (3), berberine (4), palmatine (5), jatrorrhizine (6), coptisine (7) and dehydrocorydaline (8), were isolated from the methanolic extract of the tubers of Corydalis yanhusuo. Structures of these compounds were identified by spectroscopic techniques. Compounds 4-8 inhibited AChE activity in a dose-dependent manner, and the IC₅₀ values were 0.47 ± 0.01, 0.74 ± 0.06, 2.08 ± 0.09, 1.01 ± 0.03 and 0.62 ± 0.05 µM, respectively. Structure-activity relationship analysis suggested that aromatisation at ring C, as well as substitutions at C-2, C-3, C-9, C-10 and C-13 affect the AChE activity of protoberberine alkaloids.

Liver receptor homologue-1 (LRH-1) is a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily. We characterized two functional nuclear localization signals (NLSs) in LRH-1. NLS1 (residues 117-168) overlaps the second zinc finger in the DNA binding domain. Mutagenesis showed that the zinc finger structure and two basic clusters on either side of the zinc finger loop are critical for nuclear import of NLS1. NLS2 (residues 169-204) is located in the Ftz-F1 box that contains a bipartite signal. In full-length LRH-1, mutation of either NLS1 or NLS2 had no effect on nuclear localization, but disruption of both NLS1 and NLS2 resulted in the cytoplasmic accumulation of LRH-1. Either NLS1 or NLS2 alone was sufficient to target LRH-1 to the nucleus. Both NLS1 and NLS2 mediate nuclear transport by a mechanism involving importin α/β. Finally, we showed that three crucial basic clusters in the NLSs are involved in the DNA binding and transcriptional activities of LRH-1.

Phytochemical study of the roots of Trigonostemon thyrsoideum led to the isolation of four new oxygenated daphnane-type diterpenoids, trigonosins A-D (1-4), and two new modified daphnanes, trigonosins E and F (5 and 6). The structures and relative configurations were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analysis, including 1D and 2D NMR experiments. All compounds isolated were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against HL-60, A549, and MCF-7 human cancer cell lines.

The objective of this analysis was to develop a measure of neuropsychological performance for cardiac surgery and to assess its psychometric properties. Older patients (n = 210) underwent a neuropsychological battery using nine assessments. The number of factors was identified with variable reduction methods. Factor analysis methods based on item response theory were used to evaluate the measure. Modified parallel analysis supported a single factor, and the battery formed an internally consistent set (coefficient alpha = .82). The developed measure provided a reliable, continuous measure (reliability > .90) across a broad range of performance (-1.5 SDs to +1.0 SDs) with minimal ceiling and floor effects.

Palhinine A, a novel C(16)N-type Lycopodium alkaloid with a unique 5/6/6/9 tetracyclic ring system, was isolated from the whole plant of Palhinhaea cernua L. (Lycopodiaceae). Its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods, and the absolute configuration was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis using the Flack parameter. Palhinine A is reported as the first example of Lycopodium alkaloids of which C-16 is fused to a new ring through a C-16-C-4 lingkage.

Objectives: To examine the rates of and risk factors for acute hospitalization in a prospective cohort of older community-dwelling patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD)., Design: Longitudinal patient registry., Setting: AD research center., Participants: Eight hundred twenty-seven older persons with AD., Measurements: Acute hospitalization after AD research center visit was determined from a Medicare database. Risk factor variables included demographics, dementia-related, comorbidity and diagnoses and were measured in interviews and according to Medicare data., Results: Of the 827 eligible patients seen at the ADRC during 1991 to 2006 (median follow-up 3.0 years), 542 (66%) were hospitalized at least once, and 389 (47%) were hospitalized two or more times, with a median of 3 days spent in the hospital per person-year. Leading reasons for admission were syncope or falls (26%), ischemic heart disease (17%), gastrointestinal disease (9%), pneumonia (6%), and delirium (5%). Five significant independent risk factors for hospitalization were higher comorbidity (hazard ratio (HR)=1.87, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.57-2.23), previous acute hospitalization (HR=1.65, 95% CI=1.37-1.99), older age (HR=1.51, 95% CI=1.26-1.81), male sex (HR=1.27, 95% CI=1.04-1.54), and shorter duration of dementia symptoms (HR=1.26, 95% CI=1.02-1.56). Cumulative risk of hospitalization increased with number of risk factors present at baseline: 38% with zero factors, 57% with one factor, 70% with two or three factors, and 85% with four or five factors (P(trend) <.001)., Conclusion: In a community-dwelling population with generally mild AD, hospitalization is frequent, occurring in two-thirds of participants over a median follow-up time of 3 years. With these results, clinicians may be able to identify dementia patients at high risk for hospitalization., (© 2010, Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2010, The American Geriatrics Society.)

About two thirds of breast cancers in women are hormone-dependent and require estrogen for growth, its effects being mainly mediated through estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha). Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) have opposite effects on carcinogenesis, with DHA suppressing and AA promoting tumor growth both in vitro and in vivo. However, the mechanism is not clear. Here, we examined whether the effect is mediated through changes in ERalpha distribution. MCF-7 cells, an ERalpha-positive human breast cancer cell line, was cultured in estrogen-free medium containing 0, 10 or 60 microM DHA or AA, then were stimulated with estradiol. DHA supplementation resulted in down-regulation of ERalpha expression (particularly in the extranuclear fraction), a reduction in phosphorylated MAPK, a decrease in cyclin D1 levels and an inhibition in cell viability. In contrast, AA had no such effects. The DHA-induced decrease in ERalpha expression resulted from proteasome-dependent degradation and not from decreased ERalpha mRNA expression. We propose that breast cancer cell proliferation is inhibited by DHA through proteasome-dependent degradation of ERalpha, reduced cyclin D1 expression and inhibition of MAPK signaling., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Unlabelled: A novel nano-packing material with lower relative humidity, oxygen transmission rate and high longitudinal strength was synthesized by blending polyethylene with nano-powder (nano-Ag, kaolin, anatase TiO(2), rutile TiO(2)), and its effect on preservation quality of strawberry fruits (Fragaria ananassa Duch. cv Fengxiang) was investigated during storage at 4 degrees C. Results showed that nano-packaging was able to maintain the sensory, physicochemical, and physiological quality of strawberry fruits at a higher level compared with the normal packing (polyethylene bags). After a 12-d storage, decreases in the contents of total soluble solids, titratable acidity, and ascorbic acid of nano-packing were significantly inhibited. Meanwhile, decay rate, anthocyanin, and malondialdehyde contents were decreased to 16.7%, 26.3 mg/100g, 66.3 micromol/g for nano-packing and 26.8%, 31.9 mg/100g, 75.4 micromol/g for normal packing; polyphenoloxidase (PPO) and pyrogallol peroxidase (POD) activities were significantly lower in nano-packing than the control. These data indicated that the nano-packaging might provide an attractive alternative to improve preservation quality of the strawberry fruits during extended storage., Practical Application: Nano-packing exhibited identified quality benefits applicable to the preservation of fresh strawberry. Furthermore, nano-packing has the advantages of simple processing and feasibility to be industrialized in contrast with other storages. Thus, the utilization of nano-packing will likely assist commercial producers and retailers in extending the shelf life of products over a broader range in the future.

Objectives: To determine whether patients who developed delirium after cardiac surgery were at risk of functional decline., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Two academic hospitals and a Veterans Affairs Medical Center., Participants: One hundred ninety patients aged 60 and older undergoing elective or urgent cardiac surgery., Measurements: Delirium was assessed daily and was diagnosed according to the Confusion Assessment Method. Before surgery and 1 and 12 months postoperatively, patients were assessed for function using the instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) scale. Functional decline was defined as a decrease in ability to perform one IADL at follow-up., Results: Delirium occurred in 43.1% (n=82) of the patients (mean age 73.7+/-6.7). Functional decline occurred in 36.3% (n=65/179) at 1 month and in 14.6% (n=26/178) at 12 months. Delirium was associated with greater risk of functional decline at 1 month (relative risk (RR)=1.9, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.3-2.8) and tended toward greater risk at 12 months (RR=1.9, 95% CI=0.9-3.8). After adjustment for age, cognition, comorbidity, and baseline function, delirium remained significantly associated with functional decline at 1 month (adjusted RR=1.8, 95% CI=1.2-2.6) but not at 12 months (adjusted RR=1.5, 95% CI=0.6-3.3)., Conclusion: Delirium was independently associated with functional decline at 1 month and had a trend toward association at 12 months. These findings provide justification for intervention trials to evaluate whether delirium prevention or treatment strategies might improve postoperative functional recovery.

Background: Brief cognitive screening measures are valuable tools for both research and clinical applications. The most widely used instrument, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), is limited in that it must be administered face-to-face, cannot be used in participants with visual or motor impairments, and is protected by copyright. Screening instruments such as the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS) were developed to provide a valid alternative, with comparable cut-point scores to rate global cognitive function., Methods: The MMSE, TICS-30, and TICS-40 scores from 746 community-dwelling elders who participated in the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS) were analyzed with equipercentile equating, a statistical process of determining comparable scores based on percentile equivalents for different forms of an examination., Results: Scores from the MMSE and TICS-30 and TICS-40 corresponded well, and clinically relevant cut-point scores were determined. For example, an MMSE score of 23 is equivalent to 17 and 20 on the TICS-30 and TICS-40, respectively., Conclusions: These findings indicate that TICS and MMSE scores can be linked directly. Clinically relevant and important MMSE cut points and the respective ADAMS TICS-30 and TICS-40 cut-point scores are included, to identify the degree of cognitive impairment among respondents with any type of cognitive disorder. These results will help in the widespread application of TICS in both research and clinical practice.

This study evaluates the measurement noninvariance, or differential item functioning (DIF), in the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) items attributable to age, sex, and race/ethnicity among community-dwelling older adults. Participants (N=2773) were from the New Haven site of the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies in the Elderly. Statistical analyses included exploratory factor analysis, bi-factor confirmatory factor analysis, and a bi-factor multiple indicator and multiple causes (MIMIC) model to address measurement noninvariance. Blacks, compared with whites, were more likely to endorse items loading on the interpersonal factor, which include "people dislike me" and "people are unfriendly." Women were less likely to endorse the interpersonal items and the "I felt like a failure" item (odds ratio [OR]=0.63, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.42, 0.94) than men. But women had a higher proportional odds than men for endorsing the "crying" item (OR=1.86, 95% CI: 1.17, 2.96). Those 75 years and older (relative to those aged 65-74) were less likely to endorse the "I felt like a failure" item (OR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.97). However, measurement noninvariance found in both the "crying" and "failure" items were attributable to women and to those aged 75 and older were trivial after controlling for the underlying level of depressive symptomatology. Therefore, the interpersonal items showed measurement noninvariance attributable to sex and race. The bi-factor MIMIC model is useful for examining measurement noninvariance due to sociodemographics in a multidimensional depression instrument.

Eight new pyrrolidinoindoline alkaloids (1-8) were isolated from the whole plant of Selaginella moellendorfii. Their structures were determined by mass spectrometry, 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, and chemical interconversions. These alkaloids have a 3-carboxybut-2-enyl group at C-3a and two methyl groups at N-8. The possible biogenetic route from selaginellic acid (1) to neoselaginellic acid (6) was postulated and chemically mimicked. Tautomerization between 6 and 6a was observed. Selected compounds were evaluated for antibacterial, cytotoxic, and acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activities.

Background: Delirium is an acute confusional state that is common, preventable, and life-threatening., Objective: The authors investigated the phenomenology of delirium severity as measured with the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale among 441 older patients (age 65 and older) admitted with delirium in post-acute care., Methods: Using latent class analysis, they identified four classes of psychomotor-severity subtypes of delirium: 1) hypoactive/mild; 2) hypoactive/severe; 3) mixed, with hyperactive features/severe; and 4) normal/mild., Results: Among those with dementia (N=166), the hypoactive/mild class was associated with a higher risk of mortality. Among those without dementia (N=275), greater severity was associated with mortality, regardless of psychomotor features, when compared with the normal/mild class., Conclusion: The data suggest that instruments measuring delirium severity and psychomotor features provide important prognostic information and should be integrated into the assessment of delirium.

The orphan nuclear receptor LRH-1 (liver receptor homologue-1; NR5A2) plays a critical role in development, bile acid synthesis and cholesterol metabolism. LRH-1 is also expressed in the ovary where it is implicated in the regulation of steroidogenic genes for steroid hormone synthesis. In the present study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of the transcriptional regulation of CYP11A1 by LRH-1 and found that LRH-1-mediated transactivation was markedly repressed by PIASy [protein inhibitor of activated STAT (signal transducer and activator of transcription) y], the shortest member of the PIAS family. The suppression of LRH-1 activity requires the N-terminal repression domain. Although PIAS proteins also function as E3 SUMO (small ubiquitin-related modifier) ligases and enhance SUMO conjugation, PIASy-mediated repression was independent of LRH-1 SUMOylation status. In addition, histone deacetylase activity was not involved in the inhibition of LRH-1 by PIASy. Immunoprecipitation and mammalian two-hybrid analyses indicated that PIASy interacted with LRH-1 through the C-terminal region, including the AF-2 (activation function-2) motif, which was also involved in the interaction between LRH-1 and the co-activator SRC-1 (steroid receptor co-activator-1). PIASy inhibited the binding of SRC-1 to LRH-1, although overexpression of SRC-1 partially overcame the PIASy inhibition of LRH-1 induction of the CYP11A1 promoter. The results of the present study suggest that competition with co-activators may be an important mechanism underlying the PIASy repression of LRH-1-mediated transactivation.

Liver receptor homolog-1 (LRH-1; NR5A2) is an orphan member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, mainly expressed in endoderm-derived tissues and in the ovary. In ovarian granulosa and luteal cells, LRH-1 regulates the expression of genes associated with ovarian steroidogenesis. LRH-1 can be transported to transcriptionally inactive nuclear bodies after conjugation with small ubiquitin-related modifier (SUMO). In the present study, we investigated the effects of SUMO modification at five lysine residues of LRH-1 in rat granulosa cells. Lysine 289 could be conjugated with SUMO-1 in vitro, and the mutation K289R increased transcriptional activity of LRH-1, suggesting that SUMO conjugation is associated with transcription repression. Coexpression of SUMO-1 targets LRH-1 to the dot-like nuclear bodies, but the effect of lysine mutations on blocking subnuclear localization depended on the cell type. In COS-7 cells, mutation of either K173 or K289 prevented SUMO-1-mediated translocation of LRH-1 into nuclear bodies and also reduced the conjugation by SUMO-1, suggesting that K289 and K173 are two important sites involved in SUMO-1 modification. In granulosa cells, three or more altered lysine residues were required for nucleoplasm retention. This result suggests that multiple lysine residues are targets for SUMO conjugation in vivo and granulosa cells are more sensitive to SUMO-1-mediated LRH-1 localization to nuclear bodies. Nuclear body localization of LRH-1 was suppressed by forskolin and cholera toxin. Forskolin treatment obviously influences the expression of members involved in the SUMO pathway. The results obtained in the present study suggest that cAMP signaling could change the dynamic process of sumoylation and repress LRH-1 targeting to nuclear speckles in rat granulosa cells.

Objectives: To examine the association between persistent delirium and 1-year mortality in newly admitted postacute care (PAC) facility patients with delirium who were followed regardless of residence., Design: Observational cohort study., Setting: Eight greater-Boston skilled nursing facilities specializing in PAC., Participants: Four hundred twelve PAC patients with delirium at admission after an acute hospitalization., Measurements: Assessments were done at baseline and four follow-up times: 2, 4, 12, and 26 weeks. Delirium, defined using the Confusion Assessment Method, was assessed, as were factors used as covariates in analyses: age, sex, comorbidity, functional status, and dementia. The outcome was 1-year mortality determined according to the National Death Index and corroborated using medical record and proxy telephone interview., Results: Nearly one-third of subjects remained delirious at 6 months. Cumulative 1-year mortality was 39%. Independent of age, sex, comorbidity, functional status, and dementia, subjects with persistent delirium were 2.9 (95% confidence interval 51.9-4.4) times as likely to die during the 1-year follow-up as subjects whose delirium resolved. This association remained strong and significant in groups with and without dementia. Additionally, when delirium resolved, the risk of death diminished thereafter., Conclusion: In patients who were delirious at the time of PAC admission, persistent delirium was a significant independent predictor of 1-year mortality.

Objectives: To examine the mediating role between educational attainment and risk for incidence delirium of activity participation and to examine the contribution of participation in specific activities to the development of delirium., Design: Prospective cohort study., Setting: Urban teaching hospital in New Haven, Connecticut., Participants: Participants were drawn from two prospective cohort studies of 779 newly hospitalized patients aged 70 and older without dementia., Measurements: The main outcome was delirium, measured using the full Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) algorithm, which consisted of acute onset and fluctuating course, inattention, and disorganized thinking or altered level of consciousness, as rated by trained clinical interviewers., Results: Bivariable results indicated a significant relationship between education and the development of delirium (odds ratio (OR)=0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.88-0.97) and between activity and delirium (OR= 0.60, 95% CI=0.46-0.79). In multivariable analysis, activity mediated the relationship between education and risk for delirium. Considering each activity separately, multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that regular exercise significantly lowered the risk for developing delirium (OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.60-0.96)., Conclusion: In older persons without dementia, activity participation before hospitalization is a mediator between education and incidence of delirium. Specifically, it was found that participation in regular exercise was found to be significantly protective against delirium.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of fog processes on the physical and chemical properties of aerosol particles in an urban atmosphere. Atmospheric particles were collected in the urban atmosphere of Beijing during fog and non-fog episodes. The morphology, size and elemental composition of individual particles were characterized using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDX). EDX analysis showed that elongated particles were composed of Ca-K-S or Ca-S, and most sub-round particles contained sulfur. Large amounts of elongated and sub-round particles were identified in the samples collected during fog episodes, and they were rarely detected in the samples collected during non-fog episodes. This suggests that the high relative humidity in the fogs facilitated the formation of elongated and sub-round particles. Number concentrations of particles larger than 0.2 microm were about 5 to 8 times higher during the fog episodes. In addition, a new mode around 0.4 microm appeared in number size distribution of particles during the fog episodes. These results indicate that heterogeneous reactions in the fogs could greatly change the chemical and physical properties of particles.

Hostasinine A (1), a benzylphenethylamine alkaloid with an unprecedented skeleton featuring a C-4-C-6 linkage and a nitrone moiety, was isolated from Hosta plantaginea. Its structure was established on the basis of spectroscopic data, and was further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The alkaloid was postulated biogenetically from haemanthidine via N-oxidation and aza-aldol-type condensation and was synthesized biomimetically. The inhibitory activities of 1 on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and two tumor cell lines (K562 and A549) were also evaluated.

Objective: This study reexamines findings reported by Cole et al. of item response bias in the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale by age, gender, and race. We use an item response theory-based latent variable conditioning approach., Study Design and Setting: We used the multiple indicators, multiple causes (MIMIC) model framework to estimate measurement bias in the CES-D responses of participants in the New Haven Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly study (N=2,340)., Results: Measurement bias attributable to race was significant for the following two CES-D items: people "are unfriendly" and "dislike me". The proportional odds of a higher-category response by blacks relative to whites on these items were 2.35 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.65, 3.36) and 3.11 (95% CI: 2.04, 4.76), respectively. The proportional odds were higher among women (2.03 [95% CI: 1.35, 3.06]) relative to men for the CES-D item "crying.", Conclusion: Our findings confirm that three items on the CES-D show strong evidence of item response bias. The MIMIC model is preferable to the Mantel-Haenszel approach because it conditions on a latent variable, although the effect estimates can also be interpreted using a proportional odds framework.

Five new benzylphenethylamine alkaloids, hostasine (1), 8-demethoxyhostasine, 8-demethoxy-10-O-methylhostasine, 10-O-methylhostasine, and 9-O-demethyl-7-O-methyllycorenine, along with 12 known compounds, were isolated from Hosta plantaginea by bioassay-guided fractionation. The structures of the new alkaloids were established by means of extensive spectroscopic methods, and the relative configuration of 1 was further confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. 7-Deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine (IC(50) = 1.80 microM), a known alkaloid, showed strong activity against tobacco mosaic virus by the half-leaf method. Some of these alkaloids were also evaluated for their inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase. 8-Demethoxy-10-O-methylhostasine was found to possess significant activity, with an IC(50) of 2.32 microM.

Four new trijugin-type limonoids, cipatrijugins A-D (1-4), together with the known cipadesin A (5), were isolated from the leaves of Cipadessa cinerascens, and their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic and computational methods. The ability of compounds 1-5 to inhibit the growth of the A549 and K562 tumor cell lines was evaluated.

Objective: To observe the microstructure of the cell membrane of epileptic neurons using atomic force microscopy (AFM)., Methods: Model of epileptic neurons was established by subjecting the neurons culture for 14 days in vitro to magnesium-free media treatment for 3 h. Patch clamp technique was applied to record the electrophysiological activity of the epileptic neurons. AFM was performed to observe and measure the microstructure of the cell membrane of the epileptic neuron., Results: After a 3-hour treatment with magnesium-free media, the epileptic neurons displayed sustained epileptiform discharge, which continued after the neurons were returned to normal medium culture on day 14. Under AFM scanning size of 80 microm x 80 microm and 2 microm x 2 microm, no obvious difference in the morphology of the cell membrane was noted between epileptic and normal neurons; under the scanning size of 500 nm x 500 nm, small pits occurred in the cell membrane in both groups, but no significant difference was found in the dimension of the pits between the two groups (the diameter and depth of the pits was 114.86-/+9.33 nm and 5.71-/+0.69 nm in epileptic neurons, and 116.4-/+9.13 nm and 5.69-/+0.71 nm in the control neurons, respectively, P>0.05)., Conclusion: AFM provides a new method for observing neuronal membrane microstructure at nanometer resolutions. No significant alterations occur in the membrane of the neurons after a 3-hour magnesium-free media treatment.

Number concentration and distribution of airborne particles in the size range 5.6 to 560 nm diameter were measured in Beijing for a 15-d period in winter 2005. Daily average number concentrations of nucleation mode (5.6-20 nm), Aitken mode (20-100 nm), and accumulation mode (100-560 nm) particles, and total particles were 17500, 32000, 4000, and 53500 cm(-3), respectively. Average particle size distribution was monomodal with a mode diameter of about 40 nm at night and bimodal with mode diameters of about 10 and about 40 nm during the daytime. New particle formation events, which were connected to diurnal variation of nucleation mode particles, were observed in more than half of the observation days. The events often started around 10:00-11:00 Chinese Standard Time (CST) and ended up after 3-4 h. Concentrations of Aitken and accumulation mode particles increased from midnight and reached their maxima at about 10:00 CST, and then decreased and became the lowest in the afternoon. Analysis of diurnal cycles in traffic volume and meteorological parameters revealed that the accumulation of the particles in Aitken and accumulation modes in the morning was influenced by formation of an inversion and increase in vehicle emission, and dispersion of such particles in the afternoon was associated with more effective vertical mixing and higher wind speed.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine if level of educational attainment, a marker of cognitive reserve, was associated with the cumulative risk of delirium among hospitalized elders., Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of two hospital-based studies. The first (study 1) was an observational study involving 491 admissions. The second study (study 2) involved consecutive admissions assigned to the usual care condition in a controlled clinical trial, and included 461 persons. All participants were elderly (aged 70+) and free from delirium at admission. The outcome was the occurrence of delirium, as rated by the Confusion Assessment Method during hospitalization., Results: In study 1 and 2, 22% and 14% of persons developed delirium (cumulative incidence), respectively. In both studies, risk of delirium was higher among persons with fewer years of education. Controlling for the effect of age, sex, dementia, comorbidity, and severity of illness, each year of completed education was associated with a 0.91 lower odds of delirium (95% confidence interval: 0.87, 0.95): compared to persons with 12 years of education, persons with 7 years of education had 1.6-fold increased odds of delirium (95% confidence interval: 1.4, 2.0)., Conclusion: Hospitalized older persons with low educational attainment are at increased risk for delirium relative to persons with more education. This finding may have implications for the role of cognitive reserve in characterizing individual differences in risk for delirium.

Group IIA phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)) are major components in Viperidae/Crotalidae venom. In the present study, a novel PLA(2) named promutoxin with Arg at the site 49 has been purified from the venom of Protobothrops mucrosquamatus by chromatography. It consists of 122 amino acid residues with a molecular mass of 13,656 Da assessed by MALDI-TOF. It has the structural features of snake venom group IIA PLA(2)s, but has no PLA(2) enzymatic activity. Promutoxin shows higher amino acid sequence identity to the K49 PLA(2)s (72-95%) than to D49 PLA(2)s (52-58%). Promutoxin exhibits potent myotoxicity in the animal model with as little as 1 microg of promutoxin causing myonecrosis and myoedema in the gastrocnemius muscle of mice. Promutoxin is also able to stimulate the release of IL-12, TNFalpha, IL-6 and IL-1beta from human monocytes, and induce IL-2, TNFalpha and IL-6 release from T cells, indicating that this snake venom group IIA PLA(2) is actively involved in the inflammatory process in man caused by snake venom poisoning.

Weekly PM2.5 samples were simultaneously collected at a semi-residential (Tsinghua University) and a downtown (Chegongzhuang) site in Beijing from August 2001 through September 2002. The ambient mass concentration and chemical composition of PM2.5 were determined. Analyses including elemental composition, water-soluble ions, and organic and elemental carbon were performed. The annual average concentrations of PM2.5 were 96.5 microg m(-3) and 106.9 microg m(-3) at CGZ and HU site, respectively. More than 80% of the PM2.5 mass concentrations were explained by carbonaceous species, secondary particles, crustal matters and trace elements at the two sites. Carbonaceous species were the most abundant components, constituting about 45% and 48% of the total PM2.5 mass concentrations at CGZ and THU site, respectively. SO4(2-), NO3- and NH4+ were three major ions, accounting for 37%, 23% and 20%, respectively, of the total mass of inorganic water-soluble ions.

The purpose of this pilot project was to establish a discharge-planning model and evaluate its effectiveness. Orthopedic patients who scored 7 or above on a high-risk screening form were recruited for the project. Case managers served as discharge planners, and handled the following procedures: screening of patients, drawing up of the discharge plan, providing pre-discharge instructions, coordinating resources and services, and telephone follow-up. Results showed that discharge planning improved both the completion rate of pre-discharge instructions and patient satisfaction with discharge planning. It is suggested that, in future research, experimental studies could be used to examine the effectiveness of discharge planning. The study showed the importance of dedicated case managers for improving the effectiveness of discharge planning.

An internal ribosome entry site (IRES) has been used to facilitate the expression of more than one protein in a single transcript. In this study, we examined the translational activities of several IRES elements derived from different RNA viruses. The protein expression of encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) IRES is similar to that of hepatitis C virus (HCV) IRES in mammalian cells. Notably, the protein expression of enterovirus 71 (EV71) IRES was 23-fold higher than the efficiency of EMCV IRES following normalization of mRNA transcriptional level. Thus, expression of the secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter protein in mammalian cells may be controlled at desirable levels by using appropriate IRES in the expression vector., ((c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)