Supplemental Material - Patterns of Social Isolation and Low Social Support and Frailty Trajectories Among Chinese Older Adults

Supplemental Material for Patterns of Social Isolation and Low Social Support and Frailty Trajectories Among Chinese Older Adults by Chaoping Pan, and Na Cao in Journal of Applied Gerontology.</p

Does long-term care insurance reduce the disability of middle-aged and older adults? Evidence from China

Abstract This study aimed to examine whether the implementation of Long-Term Care Insurance (LTCI) policy reduces the disability of middle-aged and older adults in China, and to test the heterogeneity of the effects. Data came from four waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011 to 2018). The Difference-In-Difference (DID) method and the panel data fixed effect model were used to estimate the effect of the implementation of LTCI policy on disability among individuals aged 45 years and above. The LTCI policy had a positive impact on reducing disability among middle-aged and older persons. Females, younger adults, city dwellers, and those who did not live with their spouses benefited the most from the LTCI policy. The results provided empirical evidence for the implementation of LTCI in China and other similar countries as China. The implementation should also pay more attention to inequity of the effects on reducing disability among different demographic groups.</jats:p

Age and Cohort Trends in Disability Among Chinese Older Adults

Abstract Objective: This study aims to examine age and cohort trends in disability among Chinese older adults, and explore the disablement process factors that may explain the cohort trends in disability. Methods: The study used data from five waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS). A hierarchical logistic growth model was used to analyze the A-P-C effects and the contributors of cohort trends. Results: Activity of Daily Living (ADL), Instrumental of Activity of Daily Living (IADL), and Functional Limitation (FL) among Chinese older adults showed increasing age and cohort trends. FL was more likely to result in IADL disability than ADL disability. Among the disablement process factors, gender, residence, education, health behavior, disease, and family income contributed to most of the cohort trends in disability. Conclusions: As facing increasing disability trends among older adults, it is necessary to distinguish age and cohort trends, and develop more effective interventions according to relative contributors to prevent disability among older adults.</jats:p

3-D health trajectories and related childhood predictors among older adults in China

AbstractThis study aimed to identify the multi-trajectories of 3-D health of older adults in China and to explore whether the childhood predictors are associated with 3-D health trajectory. Data came from five waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011 to 2018). A multi-trajectory modeling approach was carried out to jointly estimate the trajectories of 3-D health. A multinomial regression model was used to investigate the relationships between childhood predictors and the joint trajectories. We identified three typical joint 3-D health trajectories. Female, childhood health, maternal and paternal educations, childhood friendships, family and neighborhood predictors could all affect 3-D health trajectories of older adults directly or indirectly through adult variables. The 3-D health trajectories showed increasing trends, thus the government should perform more interventions toward the childhood predictors for better health of older adults.</jats:p

3-D Health Trajectories and Related Childhood Predictors Among Older Adults in China

Abstract Objectives: This study aimed to identify the multi-trajectories of 3-D health of older adults in China and to explore whether the childhood predictors are associated with 3-D health trajectory. Methods: Data came from five waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011 to 2018). A multi-trajectory modeling approach was carried out to jointly estimate the trajectories of 3-D health. A multinomial regression model was used to investigate the relationship between childhood predictors and the joint trajectories. Results: We identified three typical joint 3-D health trajectories. Female, childhood health, maternal and paternal educations, childhood friendships, family and neighborhood predictors could all affect disability trajectories of older adults directly or indirectly through adults variables. Discussion: The 3-D health trajectories showed increasing trends, thus the government should perform more interventions toward the childhood predictors for better health of older adults.</jats:p

Artemisinin Targets Transcription Factor PDR1 and Impairs Candida glabrata Mitochondrial Function

A limited number of antifungal drugs, the side-effect of clinical drugs and the emergence of resistance create an urgent need for new antifungal treatment agents. High-throughput drug screening and in-depth drug action mechanism analyzation are needed to address this problem. In this study, we identified that artemisinin and its derivatives possessed antifungal activity through a high-throughput screening of the FDA-approved drug library. Subsequently, drug-resistant strains construction, a molecular dynamics simulation and a transcription level analysis were used to investigate artemisinin&rsquo;s action mechanism in Candida glabrata. Transcription factor pleiotropic drug resistance 1 (PDR1) was an important determinant of artemisinin&rsquo;s sensitivity by regulating the drug efflux pump and ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. This dysfunction was shown by a depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane potential, an enhancement of the mitochondrial membrane viscosity and an upregulation of the intracellular ROS level in fungi. The discovery shed new light on the development of antifungal agents and understanding artemisinin&rsquo;s action mechanism

Age and cohort trends in disability among Chinese older adults

ObjectiveThis study aimed to examine age and cohort trends in disability among Chinese older adults and explore the disablement process factors that may explain the cohort trends in disability.MethodsThis study used data from five waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). A hierarchical logistic growth model was used to analyze the A–P–C effects and the contributors of cohort trends.ResultsADL, IADL, and FL among Chinese older adults showed increasing age and cohort trends. FL was more likely to result in IADL disability than ADL disability. Among the disablement process factors, gender, residence, education, health behavior, disease, and family income contributed to most of the cohort trends in disability.ConclusionsAs older adults face increasing disability trends, it is necessary to distinguish age and cohort trends and develop more effective interventions according to relative contributors to prevent disability among them.</jats:sec