This study aimed to assess health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of Heilongjiang adult populations by using the EuroQol five-dimension three-level (EQ-5D-3L) questionnaire and to identify factors associated with HRQOL. Data from the National Health Services Survey (NHSS) 2008 in Heilongjiang province were obtained. Results of EQ-5D-3L questionnaires completed by 11,523 adult respondents (18 years or older) were converted to health index scores using a recently developed Chinese value set. Multivariate linear regression and logistic regression models were established to determine demographic, socioeconomic, health, and lifestyle factors that were associated with HRQOL and reported problems in the five dimensions of EQ-5D-3L. The Heilongjiang population had a mean EQ-5D-3L index score of 0.959. Lower EQ-5D-3L index scores were associated with older age, lower levels of education, chronic conditions, temporary accommodation, poverty, unemployment, and lack of regular physical activities. Older respondents and those who were unemployed, had chronic conditions, and lived in poverty were more likely to report problems in all of the five health dimensions. Higher educational attainment was associated with lower odds of reporting health problems in mobility, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression. Low socioeconomic status is associated with poor HRQOL. Regional population norms for EQ-5D-3L are needed for health economic studies due to great socioeconomic disparities across regions in China. Overall, the Heilongjiang population has a similar level of HRQOL compared with the national average.

Three novel alkaloids (1-3), together with nineteen known ones (4-22), were isolated from the bulbs of Lycoris longituba. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of extensive spectroscopic analyses, which belong to several Amaryllidaceae alkaloid skeletons. Among them, the harmane-type alkaloids (the new compound 1 and the known compounds 5, 6 and 7) were found for the first time from Lycoris genus. The isolates were tested for their neuroprotective activities against CoCl2, H2O2 and Aβ25-35-induced SH-SY5Y cell injuries, and the majority of them exhibited neuroprotective activities of different degrees. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitory activities of the isolated alkaloids were also evaluated, while compounds 12, 14-20 and 22 exhibited extremely significant AChE inhibitory activities.

BackgroundThe leukemia affects not only the quality of life (QOL) of patients with the disease but also that of their family caregivers (FCs). The research studies on QOL of FCs for leukemia patients are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the QOL of FCs for leukemia patients in Heilongjiang province, China.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey was undertaken with 309 FCs for leukemia patients recruited from three hospitals in Heilongjiang province. The QOL of the participants was assessed using the Chinese version of WHOQOL-BREF. Multivariate regression models were established to determine the predictors of the QOL of FCs, including the socio-economic characteristics of patients and FCs, and the emotional distress, social support and family functions of FCs.ResultsThe FCs had low QOL scores in all four domains: 12.7 ± 2.8 for physical, 12.2 ± 2.5 for psychological, 13.2 ± 2.9 for social and 11.3 ± 2.5 for environment. Social support is a major predictor of the QOL of FCs, with a standardized β coefficient of “high support” ranging from 0.41 to 0.58 for the four domains, followed by family function (β = 0.37 ~ 0.44 for psychological, social and environmental domains). The FCs who were older, highly educated, had no religious belief, suffered from a higher level of emotional distress, and provided care to younger patients and the patients without insurance coverage had lower QOL than the others.ConclusionThe study provides some important insights into the QOL of FCs for leukemia patients. The QOL of FCs for leukemia patients is low and low levels of support to FCs are a major predictor of low QOL of FCs.

Three new alkaloids, 2α-hydroxy-6-O-n-butyloduline, O-n-butyllycorenine, (-)-N-(chloromethyl)lycoramine (1-3), and a new phenolic compound, ((7S)-7-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-7-hydroxypropyl)-2'-methylbenzene-3',6'-diol (14), along with ten known alkaloids (4-13), were isolated from the bulbs of Lycoris aurea collected from Huaihua County of Hunan Province, China. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic methods including HRESIMS, UV, IR, and NMR. All the isolated compounds were tested for their neuroprotective effects against CoCl2 and H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell death. Compounds 1-7 and 10 exhibited significant neuroprotective effects against CoCl2-induced SH-SY5Y cell injury, while compounds 1-5, 7, 10 and 12 showed obvious neuroprotective effects against H2O2-induced SH-SY5Y cell death.

In contrast to in vitro studies, AKIP1 overexpression does not influence cardiac remodelling in response to chronic cardiac stress. AKIP1 does, however, reduce myocardial I/R injury through stabilization of the MPT pore. These findings suggest that AKIP1 deserves further investigation as a putative treatment target for cardioprotection from I/R injury during acute myocardial infarction.