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Objectives/Goals: Upon diagnosis, patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have significant information needs. Given its recent increase in popularity, patients may use ChatGPT to access information about AML. We will examine the quality, reliability, and readability of information that ChatGPT provides in response to frequently asked questions (FAQs) about AML. Methods/Study Population: From FAQs on the top 3 patient-facing websites about AML, we derived 26 questions, written in lay terms, about AML diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and functional impact. We queried ChatGPT-4o on 10/14/2024 using a new Google account with no prior history. We asked each question in a separate chat window once, verbatim, and without prompt engineering. After calibration, 5 oncologists independently reviewed ChatGPT responses. We assessed quality via the Global Quality Scale (GQS), scored from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent) based on flow, topic coverage, and usefulness. For reliability, we assessed whether each response addresses the query and is factually accurate, elaborating on specific inaccuracies. For readability, we assessed Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, Gunning Fog Index, and Simple Measure of Gobbledygook. Results/Anticipated Results: This will be a descriptive analysis of ChatGPT responses. For quality and reliability assessments, we will report Fleiss’ kappa for inter-rater reliability and expect substantial agreement or greater (≥0.61). Per prior studies in other domains, we hypothesize that ChatGPT responses will have good quality on average (i.e., GQS score near 4). We hypothesize that nearly all responses will address their query and will mostly be accurate; a minority of responses may have partial inaccuracies. Finally, we hypothesize that readability metrics will suggest that a higher educational level (e.g., college-level education) is required for comprehension. Overall, these findings will help elucidate strengths and limitations of ChatGPT for AML and guide discussion of factors patients should be aware of when using ChatGPT. Discussion/Significance of Impact: No prior study has examined the educational quality of ChatGPT for AML. Our study will detail whether patients are receiving trustworthy and meaningful information, identify misinformation, and provide guidance to oncologists when recommending information resources to patients or fielding questions that patients may raise after using ChatGPT.
Evidence suggests the crucial role of dysfunctional default mode (DMN), salience and frontoparietal (FPN) networks, collectively termed the triple network model, in the pathophysiology of treatment-resistant depression (TRD).
Aims
Using the graph theory- and seed-based functional connectivity analyses, we attempted to elucidate the role of low-dose ketamine in the triple networks, namely the DMN, salience and FPN.
Method
Resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs–fcMRI) data derived from two previous clinical trials of a single, low-dose ketamine infusion were analysed. In clinical trial 1 (Trial 1), patients with TRD were randomised to either a ketamine or normal saline group, while in clinical trial 2 (Trial 2) those patients with TRD and pronounced suicidal symptoms received a single infusion of either 0.05 mg/kg ketamine or 0.045 mg/kg midazolam. All participants underwent rs–fcMRI pre and post infusion at Day 3. Both graph theory- and seed-based functional connectivity analyses were performed independently.
Results
Trial 1 demonstrated significant group-by-time effects on the degree centrality and cluster coefficient in the right posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) cortex ventral 23a and b (DMN) and the cluster coefficient in the right supramarginal gyrus perisylvian language (salience). Trial 2 found a significant group-by-time effect on the characteristic path length in the left PCC 7Am (DMN). In addition, both ketamine and normal saline infusions exerted a time effect on the cluster coefficient in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a9-46v (FPN) in Trial 1.
Conclusions
These findings may support the utility of the triple-network model in elucidating ketamine’s antidepressant effect. Alterations in DMN, salience and FPN function may underlie this effect.
Person fit statistics are frequently used to detect aberrant behavior when assuming an item response model generated the data. A common statistic, \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$l_z$$\end{document}, has been shown in previous studies to perform well under a myriad of conditions. However, it is well-known that \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$l_z$$\end{document} does not follow a standard normal distribution when using an estimated latent trait. As a result, corrections of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$l_z$$\end{document}, called \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$l_z^*$$\end{document}, have been proposed in the literature for specific item response models. We propose a more general correction that is applicable to many types of data, namely survey or tests with multiple item types and underlying latent constructs, which subsumes previous work done by others. In addition, we provide corrections for multiple estimators of \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\usepackage{amsmath}\usepackage{wasysym}\usepackage{amsfonts}\usepackage{amssymb}\usepackage{amsbsy}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{upgreek}\setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt}\begin{document}$$\theta $$\end{document}, the latent trait, including MLE, MAP and WLE. We provide analytical derivations that justifies our proposed correction, as well as simulation studies to examine the performance of the proposed correction with finite test lengths. An applied example is also provided to demonstrate proof of concept. We conclude with recommendations for practitioners when the asymptotic correction works well under different conditions and also future directions.
A high-energy pulsed vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) solid-state laser at 177 nm with high peak power by the sixth harmonic of a neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) amplifier in a KBe2BO3F2 prism-coupled device was demonstrated. The ultraviolet (UV) pump laser is a 352 ps pulsed, spatial top-hat super-Gaussian beam at 355 nm. A high energy of a 7.12 mJ VUV laser at 177 nm is obtained with a pulse width of 255 ps, indicating a peak power of 28 MW, and the conversion efficiency is 9.42% from 355 to 177 nm. The measured results fitted well with the theoretical prediction. It is the highest pulse energy and highest peak power ever reported in the VUV range for any solid-state lasers. The high-energy, high-peak-power, and high-spatial-uniformity VUV laser is of great interest for ultra-fine machining and particle-size measurements using UV in-line Fraunhofer holography diagnostics.
Background: Mild behavioral impairment (MBI) in older people refers to a group of syndromes that are characterized primarily by clusters of neuropsychiatric symptoms without severe cognitive impairment, which is a high-risk population for dementia. Patients often experience a variety of symptoms and exhibit high heterogeneity in symptomatology across different individuals. Classifying the psychotic symptom characteristics of MBI patients aids in the implementation of precise interventions for the next steps.
Objectives: To explore the symptom characteristics of older people with MBI and to classify them based on their symptoms.
Methods: Using a multi-stage sampling Methods, the MBI-Checklist was employed to investigate symptom characteristics in 255 older people with MBI from 32 nursing homes in Fujian Province. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was then employed to categorize these individuals based on their symptom profiles.
Results: The neuropsychiatric symptoms clusters in older people with MBI often present as a combination of lack of motivation and emotional dysregulation, lack of motivation and impulse control disorders, or emotional dysregulation and impulse control disorders; presentation of a single symptom cluster is relatively less common, accounting for 45.49%. Older people with MBI can be divided into 2 latent classes (P < 0.05) based on symptom characteristics. According to the conditional probability of each class, they were named the “high- level group’’ [211 (82.69%)] and the “low-level group’’[44 (17.31%)].
Discussion: As individuals with MBI are at high risk for developing dementia, early intervention can effectively delay or reduce the occurrence of dementia. Future interventions should be personalized based on the specific symptom characteristics of this population.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to identify core and bridge symptoms between emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbance in dementia-risk older adults with depressive symptoms in nursing homes using network analysis, and to further compare the structural differences in symptom networks between subthreshold depressive and depressive groups.
Methods: A total of 853 older adults in nursing homes participated in this study. We used the Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to assess the severity of emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbances, respectively, and the analyses also generated a network model of the MBI-PSQI in the sample and examined subthreshold depressive and depressive groups’ potential differences between network structure and connectivity.
Results: The core symptom in the global MBI-PSQI network of older adults with depressive symptoms in nursing homes was MBI8’’ (Lack of pleasure experience: 8.340), and the bridge symptom was PSQI7’’ (Daytime Dysfunction: 3.894). The edges connecting the nodes MBI2’’ (Lost curiosity in usual interests) and MBI3’’ (Decreased social initiative) in the global MBI-PSQI network has the strongest weight (0.798). Compared to the global network, for participants in the depression group, MBI8’’ (7.647) remains the most core symptom, and PSQI7’’ (4.028) serves as a critical bridge symptom between emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbances. However, in the subthreshold depression group, the MBI-PSQI network structure exhibits distinct characteristics, with MBI2’’ (5.563) being revealed as the most significant symptom, closely followed by MBI8’’ (5.453). Furthermore, the bridge symptom connecting emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms to sleep disturbances shifts to PSQI4’’ (Sleep Efficiency: 1.386). Intriguingly, the strongest edge in both the global network and the subgroup network is MBI2-MBI3.
Conclusions: There is an association between emergent neuropsychiatric symptoms and sleep disturbance in dementia-risk older adults with depressive symptoms in nursing homes. In addition, heterogeneity in the network structure of subthreshold depression and depression, with shifts in core and bridge symptoms, providing directions for designing novel and targeted interventions.
This study aimed to investigate the effects of esketamine (Esk) combined with dexmedetomidine (Dex) on postoperative delirium (POD) and quality of recovery (QoR) in elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic radical lung cancer surgery.
Methods
In this prospective, randomized, and controlled study, 172 elderly patients undergoing thoracoscopic radical lung cancer surgery were divided into two groups: the Esk + Dex group (n = 86) and the Dex group a (n = 86). The primary outcome was the incidence of POD within 7 days after surgery and the overall Quality of Recovery−15 (QoR − 15) scores within 3 days after surgery. Secondary outcomes included postoperative adverse reactions, extubation time, PACU stay, and hospitalization time. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-10, S100β protein, NSE, CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ were detected from T0 to T5.
Results
Compared with the Dex group, the incidence of POD in the Esk + Dex group was significantly lower at 7 days after surgery (14.6% vs 30.9%; P = 0.013). The QoR − 15 score was significantly increased 3 days after surgery (P < 0.01). Levels of IL-6 and CD8+ were significantly decreased, and IL − 10 levels were significantly increased at T1-T2 (P < 0.05). At T1-T4, NSE levels were significantly decreased, while CD3+ and CD4+/CD8+ values were significantly increased (P < 0.01). At T1-T5, serum S100β protein concentration decreased significantly, and CD4+ value increased significantly (P < 0.01). The incidence of nausea/vomiting and hyperalgesia decreased significantly 48 hours after surgery (P < 0.01). The duration of extubation, PACU stay, and postoperative hospitalization were significantly shortened.
Conclusions
Esketamine combined with dexmedetomidine can significantly reduce the POD incidence and improve the QoR in patients undergoing thoracoscopic radical lung cancer surgery, which may be related to the improvement of cellular immune function.
Previous studies have indicated an association between vitamin D and thyroid- and parathyroid-related diseases. However, it remains unclear whether it is a cause of the disease, a side effect of treatment or a consequence of the disease. The Mendelian randomisation (MR) study strengthens the causal inference by controlling for non-heritable environmental confounders and reverse causation. In this study, a two-sample bidirectional MR analysis was conducted to investigate the causal relationship between serum vitamin D levels and thyroid- and parathyroid-related diseases. Inverse variance weighted, weighted median and MR-Egger methods were performed, the Cochran Q test was used to evaluate the heterogeneity and the MR-PRESSO and MR-Egger intercepts were utilised to assess the possibility of pleiotropy. The Bonferroni-corrected significance threshold was 0·0038. At the Bonferroni-corrected significance level, we found that vitamin D levels suggestively decreased the risk of benign parathyroid adenoma (OR = 0·244; 95 % CI 0·074, 0·802; P = 0·0202) in the MR analyses. In the reverse MR study, a genetically predicted risk of thyroid cancer suggestively increased the risk of elevated vitamin D (OR = 1·007; 95 % CI 1·010, 1·013; P = 0·0284), chronic thyroiditis significantly increased the risk of elevated vitamin D (OR = 1·007; 95 % CI 1·002, 1·011; P = 0·0030) and thyroid nodules was significantly decreased the vitamin D levels (OR = 0·991; 95 % CI 0·985, 0·997; P = 0·0034). The findings might be less susceptible to horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity (P > 0·05). This study from a gene perspective indicated that chronic thyroiditis and thyroid nodules may impact vitamin D levels, but the underlying mechanisms require further investigation.
Trauma is a significant health issue that not only leads to immediate death in many cases but also causes severe complications, such as sepsis, thrombosis, haemorrhage, acute respiratory distress syndrome and traumatic brain injury, among trauma patients. Target protein identification technology is a vital technique in the field of biomedical research, enabling the study of biomolecular interactions, drug discovery and disease treatment. It plays a crucial role in identifying key protein targets associated with specific diseases or biological processes, facilitating further research, drug design and the development of treatment strategies. The application of target protein technology in biomarker detection enables the timely identification of newly emerging infections and complications in trauma patients, facilitating expeditious medical interventions and leading to reduced post-trauma mortality rates and improved patient prognoses. This review provides an overview of the current applications of target protein identification technology in trauma-related complications and provides a brief overview of the current target protein identification technology, with the aim of reducing post-trauma mortality, improving diagnostic efficiency and prognostic outcomes for patients.
Advanced cancer patients often experience existential distress (ED). However, the factors associated with ED remain unclear. This study investigated the current state of ED and identified the associated factors in Chinese patients with advanced cancer.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 352 advanced cancer patients from 3 tertiary hospitals in Fujian, China. Participants were invited to complete the Existential Distress Scale, Number Rating Scale, Self-Perceived Burden Scale, Quality of Life Concerns in the End-of-Life Questionnaire, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.
Objectives
This study aimed to investigate the level of existential distress among advanced cancer patients in China and identify the associated factors.
Results
A total of 352 advanced cancer patients were recruited for this study. The average score for ED was 8.48 ± 7.12 among the advanced cancer patients. Multiple regression showed that the associated factors included depression (β = 0.32, p = 0.000), self-perceived burden (SPB) (β = 0.18, p = 0.001), the presence of a spouse (β = −0.10, p = 0.050), and reception of government subsidies (β = 0.17, p = 0.001). The factors accounted for 30.1% of the total variance in ED (F = 8.472, p < 0.001).
Significance of results
Among the advanced cancer patients queried, ED was found to be positively influenced by depression, SPB, and reception of government subsidies and negatively influenced by the presence of a spouse. Depression was the most important risk factor, and thus future ED interventions should target depression.
A comprehensive direct numerical simulation of electroconvection (EC) turbulence caused by strong unipolar charge injection in a two-dimensional cavity is performed. The EC turbulence has strong fluctuations and intermittency in the closed cavity. Several dominant large-scale structures are found, including two vertical main rolls and a single primary roll. The flow mode significantly influences the charge transport efficiency. A nearly $Ne \sim T^{1/2}$ scaling stage is observed, and the optimal $Ne$ increment is related to the mode with two vertical rolls, while the single roll mode decreases the charge transport efficiency. As the flow strength increases, EC turbulence transitions from an electric force-dominated mode to an inertia-dominated mode. The former utilizes the Coulomb force more effectively and allocates more energy to convection. The vertical mean profiles of charge, electric field and energy budget provide intuitive information on the spatial energy distribution. With the aid of the energy-box technique, a detailed energy transport evolution is illustrated with changing electric Rayleigh numbers. This exploration of EC turbulence can help explain more complicated electrokinetic turbulence mechanisms and the successful utilization of Fourier mode decomposition and energy-box techniques is expected to benefit future EC studies.
This study assessed the efficacy of ThinPrep cytologic test and human papillomavirus (HPV) co-test in cervical cancer screening during pregnancy. A cohort of 8,712 pregnant women from Ren Ji Hospital participated in the study. Among them, 601 (6.90%) tested positive for high-risk HPV (HR-HPV) and 38 (0.44%) exhibited abnormal cytology results (ASCUS+). Following positive HR-HPV findings, 423 patients underwent colposcopy, and 114 individuals suspected of having high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and cervical cancer (HSIL+) underwent cervical biopsy. Histological examination revealed 60 cases of normal pathology (52.63%), 35 cases of low‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (30.70%), 17 cases of HSIL (14.91%), and 2 cases of cervical cancer (1.75%). The incidence of HSIL+ in HPV 16/18 group was significantly higher than that in non-HPV16/18 group (10.53% vs. 6.14%, P < 0.05). Subsequent evaluation of the clinical performance of cytology alone, primary HPV screening, and co-testing for HSIL+ detection revealed that the HSIL+ detection rate was lowest with cytology alone. These findings suggest that HPV testing, either alone or combined with cytology, presents an efficient screening strategy for pregnant women, underscoring the potential for improved sensitivity in cervical cancer screening during pregnancy. The significantly higher incidence of HSIL+ in the HPV16/18 group emphasizes the importance of genotype-specific considerations.
Despite mounting evidence demonstrates circulating endothelial progenitor cells (cEPCs) quantitative changes in depression, no study has investigated cEPC functions in major depressive disorder (MDD). We investigated the role of cEPC adhesive and apoptotic functions in MDD.
Methods:
We recruited 68 patients with MDD and 56 healthy controls (HCs). The depression symptoms, anxiety, psychosomatic symptoms, subjective cognitive dysfunction, quality of life, and functional disability were evaluated using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Depression and Somatic Symptoms Scale (DSSS), Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression, 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS), respectively. Working memory and executive function were assessed using a 2-back task and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). Inflammatory marker (soluble interleukin-6 receptor, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-α receptor-1), cEPC adhesive, and apoptotic levels were measured using in vitro assays.
Results:
The MDD patients showed significantly lower cEPC adhesive levels than the HCs, and this difference in adhesive function remained statistically significant even after adjusting for inflammatory marker levels. The cEPC adhesion levels were in inverse correlations with commission and omission errors in 2-back task, the percent perseverative response and percent perseverative errors in WCST, and the DSSS and SDS scores, but in positive correlations with SF-12 physical and mental component scores. cEPC apoptotic levels did not differ significantly between the groups.
Conclusion:
The findings indicate that cEPC adhesive function is diminished in MDD and impacts various aspects of cognitive and psychosocial functions associated with the disorder.
Rodents and shrews are major reservoirs of various pathogens that are related to zoonotic infectious diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate co-infections of zoonotic pathogens in rodents and shrews trapped in four provinces of China. We sampled different rodent and shrew communities within and around human settlements in four provinces of China and characterised several important zoonotic viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens by PCR methods and phylogenetic analysis. A total of 864 rodents and shrews belonging to 24 and 13 species from RODENTIA and EULIPOTYPHLA orders were captured, respectively. For viral pathogens, two species of hantavirus (Hantaan orthohantavirus and Caobang orthohantavirus) were identified in 3.47% of rodents and shrews. The overall prevalence of Bartonella spp., Anaplasmataceae, Babesia spp., Leptospira spp., Spotted fever group Rickettsiae, Borrelia spp., and Coxiella burnetii were 31.25%, 8.91%, 4.17%, 3.94%, 3.59%, 3.47%, and 0.58%, respectively. Furthermore, the highest co-infection status of three pathogens was observed among Bartonella spp., Leptospira spp., and Anaplasmataceae with a co-infection rate of 0.46%. Our results suggested that species distribution and co-infections of zoonotic pathogens were prevalent in rodents and shrews, highlighting the necessity of active surveillance for zoonotic pathogens in wild mammals in wider regions.
Placental trophoblastic cells play important roles in placental development and fetal health. However, the mechanism of trophoblastic cell fusion is still not entirely clear. The level of Tspan5 in the embryo culture medium was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fusion of BeWo cells was observed by immunofluorescence. Cell fusion-related factors and EMT-related factors were identified by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Notch protein repressor DAPT was used to verify the role of Tspan5 in BeWo cells. The expression of Tspan5 was significantly increased in embryo culture medium. The fusion of BeWo cells was observed after treatment with forskolin (FSK). Cell fusion-related factors (i.e. β-hCG and syncytin 1/2) and Tspan5 were significantly increased after FSK treatment. In addition, FSK treatment promoted EMT-related protein expression in BeWo cells. Knockdown of Tspan5 inhibited cell fusion and EMT-related protein levels. Notch-1 and Jagged-1 protein levels were significantly upregulated, and the EMT process was activated by overexpression of Tspan5 in FSK-treated BeWo cells. Interestingly, blocking the Notch pathway by the repressor DAPT had the opposite results. These results indicated that Tspan5 could promote the EMT process by activating the Notch pathway, thereby causing cell fusion. These findings contribute to a better understanding of trophoblast cell syncytialization and embryonic development. Tspan5 may be used as a therapeutic target for normal placental development.
Drawing on the theory of the legal opportunity structure, this article traces the progress of prison reform in Taiwan by highlighting how a case of parole revocation in the beginning led to an overhaul of the prison system in the end. This article argues that, through four interpretations of the Constitutional Court and the legal opportunity structure shaped thereby, including the split between courts, creation and expansion of inmates’ access to court, and the support from allies, the prison reform was eventually achieved. Theoretically, this article makes two contributions to the literature: (1) the combination of inactive legislature and reactive executive branch as the political context is decisive to the openness of the legal opportunity structure for it increases the receptivity of a proactive judiciary; (2) the international human rights frame incorporated into the legal stock by the Constitutional Court made the prison reform an ongoing process rather than a done work.
Evidence suggests a familial coaggregation of major psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression (MDD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Those disorders are further related to suicide and accidental death. However, whether death by suicide may coaggregate with accidental death and major psychiatric disorders within families remains unclear.
Aims
To clarify the familial coaggregation of deaths by suicide with accidental death and five major psychiatric disorders.
Method
Using a database linked to the entire Taiwanese population, 68 214 first-degree relatives of individuals who died by suicide between 2003 and 2017 and 272 856 age- and gender-matched controls were assessed for the risks of death by suicide, accidental death and major psychiatric disorders.
Results
A Poisson regression model showed that the first-degree relatives of individuals who died by suicide were more likely to die by suicide (relative risk RR = 4.61, 95% CI 4.02–5.29) or accident (RR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.43–1.84) or to be diagnosed with schizophrenia (RR = 1.53, 95% CI 1.40–1.66), bipolar disorder (RR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.83–2.16), MDD (RR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.89–2.08) or ADHD (RR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.24–1.44).
Conclusions
Our findings identified a familial coaggregation of death by suicide with accidental death, schizophrenia, major affective disorders and ADHD. Further studies would be required to elucidate the pathological mechanisms underlying this coaggregation.
Childhood is a critical period for muscle accumulation. Studies in elders have reported that antioxidant vitamins could improve muscle health. However, limited studies have assessed such associations in children. This study included 243 boys and 183 girls. A seventy-nine-item FFQ was used to investigate dietary nutrients intake. Plasma levels of retinol and α-tocopherol were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography with MS. Dual X-ray absorptiometry was used to assess appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and total body fat. The ASM index (ASMI) and ASMI Z-score were then calculated. Hand grip strength was measured using a Jamar® Plus+ Hand Dynamometer. Fully adjusted multiple linear regression models showed that for each unit increase in plasma retinol content, ASM, ASMI, left HGS and ASMI Z-score increased by 2·43 × 10−3 kg, 1·33 × 10−3 kg/m2, 3·72 × 10−3 kg and 2·45 × 10−3 in girls, respectively (P < 0·001–0·050). ANCOVA revealed a dose–response relationship between tertiles of plasma retinol level and muscle indicators (Ptrend: 0·001–0·007). The percentage differences between the top and bottom tertiles were 8·38 %, 6·26 %, 13·2 %, 12·1 % and 116 % for ASM, ASMI, left HGS, right HGS and ASMI Z-score in girls, respectively (Pdiff: 0·005–0·020). No such associations were observed in boys. Plasma α-tocopherol levels were not correlated with muscle indicators in either sex. In conclusion, high circulating retinol levels are positively associated with muscle mass and strength in school-age girls.
Breast cancer is a high-risk disease with a high mortality rate among women. Chemotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of breast cancer. However, chemotherapy eventually results in tumours that are resistant to drugs. In recent years, many studies have revealed that the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signalling is crucial for the emergence and growth of breast tumours as well as the development of drug resistance. Additionally, drugs that target this pathway can reverse drug resistance in breast cancer therapy. Traditional Chinese medicine has the properties of multi-target and tenderness. Therefore, integrating traditional Chinese medicine and modern medicine into chemotherapy provides a new strategy for reversing the drug resistance of breast tumours. This paper mainly reviews the possible mechanism of Wnt/β-catenin in promoting the process of breast tumour drug resistance, and the progress of alkaloids extracted from traditional Chinese medicine in the targeting of this pathway in order to reverse the drug resistance of breast cancer.
According to the public data collected from the Health Commission of Gansu Province, China, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic during the summer epidemic cycle in 2022, the epidemiological analysis showed that the pandemic spread stability and the symptom rate (the number of confirmed cases divided by the sum of the number of asymptomatic cases and the number of confirmed cases) of COVID-19 were different among 3 main epidemic regions, Lanzhou, Linxia, and Gannan; both the symptom rate and the daily instantaneous symptom rate (daily number of confirmed cases divided by the sum of daily number of asymptomatic cases and daily number of confirmed cases) in Lanzhou were substantially higher than those in Linxia and Gannan. The difference in the food sources due to the high difference of the population ethnic composition in the 3 regions was probably the main driver for the difference of the symptom rates among the 3 regions. This work provides potential values for prevention and control of COVID-19 in different regions.