Somatic Maturity and Physical Performance in Male Youth Players from a Professional Soccer Academy

SUMMARY: The aim was to analyze the relationship between somatic maturation and physical performance in male youth soccer players belonging to a professional Mexican academy. In 121 male soccer aged 11 to 16 years from a professional academy the peak height velocity (PHV), percentage of adult height (PAS), jump capacity, sprint, intermittent speed and muscle mass were estimated. ANOVA was conducted to compare performance variables among maturity somatic categories and percentiles were calculated based on maturity offset using LMS method. Furthermore, a general linear model was employed to determine the explanatory variables for performance. Post-PHV soccer players demonstrated superior physical performance across several tests compared to Pre-PHV (p<0.001) and Circa-PHV (p<0.001) players. The smoothed percentile values of performance tests, based on somatic maturation, indicated progressive performance enhancement as individuals approached PHV (-2 to 2 years from PHV) (p<0.005). PHV was associated with jump capacity (p<0.001) and intermittent speed (p=0.007) while PAS was associated with time in sprint (p=.0004). In conclusion PHV and PAS explained better performance than chronological age, body composition characteristics, injuries, or training factors.

El objetivo fue analizar la relación entre la maduración somática y el rendimiento físico en futbolistas juveniles masculinos pertenecientes a una academia profesional mexicana. Métodos. En 121 futbolistas masculinos de 11 a 16 años de una academia profesional se estimó la velocidad máxima en altura (VPH), porcentaje de altura adulta (PAS), capacidad de salto, sprint, velocidad intermitente y masa muscular. Se realizó ANOVA para comparar variables de desempeño entre categorías somáticas de madurez y se calcularon percentiles en función de la compensación de madurez utilizando el método LMS. Además, se empleó un modelo lineal general para determinar las variables explicativas del desempeño. Los jugadores de fútbol post-PHV demostraron un rendimiento físico superior en varias pruebas en comparación con los jugadores Pre-PHV (p<0,001) y Circa-PHV (p<0,001). Los valores percentiles suavizados de las pruebas de rendimiento, basados en la maduración somática, indicaron una mejora progresiva del rendimiento a medida que los individuos se acercaban al PHV (-2 a 2 años desde el PHV) (p<0,005). PHV se asoció con la capacidad de salto (p<0,001) y velocidad intermitente (p=0,007) mientras que PAS se asoció con el tiempo en sprint (p=0,0004). En conclusión PHV y PEA explicaron un mejor rendimiento que la edad cronológica, las características de composición corporal, las lesiones o los factores de entrenamiento.

Noble hosts: effects of internal parasites on the physiology of an intertidal brooding Sea-star / Huéspedes nobles: los efectos de parásitos internos en la fisiología de una estrella de mar incubadora del intermareal

Abstract Introduction: The endoparasite Dendrogaster argentinensis infects the intertidal brooder sea star Anasterias antarctica. This sea-star species is in the highest trophic level in the Beagle Channel. Objective: To study the effects of parasitism by D. argentinensis on the fitness and reproduction of A. antarctica. Methods: Adults from the brooder sea-star were collected from the rocky intertidal of Ensenada Zaratiegui bay (54°51' S & 68°29' W), Argentina. Eight seasonal samplings were performed (four seasons in two years) in the upper and low intertidal. During dissection, parasites were removed, and all organs were extracted and weighed separately. Results: Dendrogaster argentinensis prevalence was the highest for the region (20.4 %). Parasitized individuals were more frequent in the low intertidal in all seasons, with a higher difference in summer, where it is likely that the higher temperatures and strong winds could make the upper intertidal more challenging for a parasitized individual. Five parasitized individuals were castrated. Generally, the gonadal (GI) and somatic (pyloric caeca, PCI; stomach, SI; body wall, WI) indexes were lower in parasitized than non-parasitized individuals. Conclusions: Parasitism by D. argentinensis negatively affects A. antarctica condition. It affects reproduction because it reduces the GI, and can also produce castration. The parasite competes for the sea-stars' energetic resources, also decreasing the individual's capacity for feeding (reduced stomach) and growth (reduced body wall).

Resumen Introducción: El endoparásito Dendrogaster argentinensis infecta a la estrella de mar Anasterias antarctica, especie que se encuentra en el nivel trófico más alto del Canal Beagle. Objetivo: Estudiar los efectos del parasitismo de D. argentinensis en la condición fisiológica y reproducción de A. antarctica. Métodos: Adultos de la estrella de mar incubadora fueron recogidos del intermareal rocoso de la bahía Ensenada Zaratiegui (54°51' S & 68°29' W). Se realizaron ocho muestreos estacionales (cuatro temporadas en dos años) en el intermareal superior y bajo. Durante la disección, se removieron los parásitos, y todos los órganos, los cuales fueron pesados por separado. Resultados: La prevalencia de D. argentinensis fue la más alta de la región (20.4 %). Los individuos parasitados fueron más frecuentes en el intermareal bajo en todas las estaciones, siendo la mayor diferencia en verano, donde es probable que las temperaturas más altas y los fuertes vientos puedan hacer que el intermareal superior sea más desafiante para un individuo parasitado. Se observaron cinco individuos parasitados que estaban castrados. Generalmente, los índices gonadales (GI) y somáticos (ciego pilórico, estómago, y pared del cuerpo) fueron menores en los individuos parasitados que no parasitados. Conclusiones: El parasitismo de D. argentinensis afecta negativamente la condición fisiológica de A. antarctica. Afecta a la reproducción en términos de bajo GI y puede causar castración. El parásito compite por los recursos energéticos de las estrellas de mar, disminuyendo también la capacidad del individuo para alimentarse (reducción del estómago) y crecer (reducción de la pared del cuerpo).

Unveiling the clinical spectrum of relapsing polychondritis: insights into its pathogenesis, novel monogenic causes, and therapeutic strategies

Abstract Relapsing polychondritis is a rare multisystem disease involving cartilaginous and proteoglycan-rich structures. The diagnosis of this disease is mainly suggested by the presence of flares of inflammation of the cartilage, particularly in the ears, nose or respiratory tract, and more rarely, in the presence of other manifestations. The spectrum of clinical presentations may vary from intermittent episodes of painful and often disfiguring auricular and nasal chondritis to an occasional organ or even life-threatening manifestations such as lower airway collapse. There is a lack of awareness about this disease is mainly due to its rarity. In 2020, VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome, a novel autoinflammatory syndrome, was described. VEXAS syndrome is attributed to somatic mutations in methionine-41 of UBA1, the major E1 enzyme that initiates ubiquitylation. This new disease entity connects seemingly unrelated conditions: systemic inflammatory syndromes (relapsing chondritis, Sweet's syndrome, and neutrophilic dermatosis) and hematologic disorders (myelodysplastic syndrome or multiple myeloma). Therefore, this article reviews the current literature on both disease entities.

Electroacupuncture at Sensitized Acupoints Relieves Somatic Referred Pain in Colitis Rats by Inhibiting Sympathetic-Sensory Coupling to Interfere with 5-HT Signaling Pathway / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate whether electroacupuncture (EA) at sensitized acupoints could reduce sympathetic-sensory coupling (SSC) and neurogenic inflammatory response by interfering with 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT)ergic neural pathways to relieve colitis and somatic referred pain, and explore the underlying mechanisms.@*METHODS@#Rats were treated with 5% dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) solution for 7 days to establish a colitis model. Twelve rats were randomly divided into the control and model groups according to a random number table (n=6). According to the "Research on Rat Acupoint Atlas", sensitized acupoints and non-sensitized acupoints were determined. Rats were randomly divided into the control, model, Zusanli-EA (ST 36), Dachangshu-EA (BL 25), and Xinshu (BL 15) groups (n=6), as well as the control, model, EA, and EA + GR113808 (a 5-HT inhibitor) groups (n=6). The rats in the control group received no treatment. Acupuncture was administered on 2 days after modeling using the stimulation pavameters: 1 mA, 2 Hz, for 30 min, with sparse and dense waves, for 14 consecutive days. GR113808 was injected into the tail vein at 5 mg/kg before EA for 10 min for 7 consecutive days. Mechanical sensitivity was assessed with von Frey filaments. Body weight and disease activity index (DAI) scores of rats were determined. Hematoxylin and eosin staining was performed to observe colon histopathology. SSC was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to detect 5-HT and substance P (SP) expressions. The calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in skin tissue and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) protein levels in DRG were detected by Western blot. The levels of hyaluronic acid (HA), bradykinin (BK), prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) in skin tissue, 5-HT, tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1), serotonin transporters (SERT), 5-HT 3 receptor (5-HT3R), and 5-HT 4 receptor (5-HT4R) in colon tissue were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).@*RESULTS@#BL 25 and ST 36 acupoints were determined as sensitized acupoints, and BL 15 acupoint was used as a non-sensitized acupoint. EA at sensitized acupoints improved the DAI score, increased mechanical withdrawal thresholds, and alleviated colonic pathological damage of rats. EA at sensitized acupoints reduced SSC structures and decreased TH and CGRP expression levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, EA at sensitized acupoints reduced BK, PGI2, 5-HT, 5-HT3R and TPH1 levels, and increased HA, 5-HT4R and SERT levels in colitis rats (P<0.05). GR113808 treatment diminished the protective effect of EA at sensitized acupoints in colitis rats (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#EA at sensitized acupoints alleviated DSS-induced somatic referred pain in colitis rats by interfering with 5-HTergic neural pathway, and reducing SSC inflammatory response.

Relación entre sobrecompromiso y síntomas somáticos en enfermeras de un hospital de II nivel en Perú

Objetivo : Determinar la relación entre sobrecompromiso y síntomas somáticos en enfermeras de un hospital de II nivel en Perú. Material y métodos : Investigación observacional, transversal y correlacional, con una muestra probabilística de 106 enfermeras. Se aplicó el Cuestionario de Siegrist y Meter para medir sobrecompromiso y desequilibrio esfuerzo recompensa, y el Cuestionario de Salud (PHQ15) para síntomas somáticos. Se construyó un modelo de regresión logística, considerando variables sociodemográficas y laborales. Resultados : En las enfermeras que presentaron síntomas somáticos moderados-graves, el 68,3% tuvo un nivel de sobrecompromiso alto. El modelo de regresión mostró que sobrecompromiso (OR = 6,25, p < 0,01), tiempo laboral (OR = 0,74, p < 0,01) y la condición de personal (nombrado o contratado, OR = 49,20, p < 0,01) influyeron en el nivel de síntomas somáticos. El modelo discriminó correctamente el 79% (IC 95%: 0,70 - 0,88) de los casos con síntomas somáticos, siendo el valor 0,43, el que se usò para la clasificaciòn en leve-mìnimo y moderado-grave con una sensibilidad de 73% y especificidad del 74%. Conclusión : Se corroboró una relación significativa entre sobrecompromiso y síntomas somáticos, con un modelo predictivo que logró un nivel elevado de discriminación para identificar personal de enfermería en riesgo.

SUMMARY Objective : To determine the relationship between over commitment and somatic symptoms among nurses in a type II hospital in Peru. Methods : A cross-sectional study with a probabilistic sample of 106 participants was carried-out. The Siegrist and Meter questionnaire was applied to measure over commitment and imbalance effort-recompense and the Health Questionnaire (PHQ15) was applied to evaluate somatic symptoms. A logistic regression model was built considering sociodemographic and labor variables. Results : The 68.3% of nurses that presented with moderate to severe somatic symptoms had a high level of over commitment. The regression model showed that over commitment (OR = 6.25, p < 0.01), time in the working place (OR = 0.74, p < 0.01) and labor status (staff or hired temporarily OR = 49.20, p < 0.01) influenced the level of somatic symptoms. The model discriminated well the 79% (95% CI: 95%: 0.70 - 0.88) of somatic cases. A value of 0.43 was selected to discriminate between mild to moderate-severe with a sensitivity of 73% and 74% specificity. Conclusions : A signifcant correlation between over commitment and somatic symptoms ws found. The regression model attained a high discriminative level to identify nurses at risk.

CAN ANXIETY LEVEL DURING TRAINING AND COMPETITION AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE SCORE AMONG ELITE YOUTH SHOOTERS? A CORRELATION STUDY

BACKGROUND: Shooting is one of the sports that can be taken up by an individual regardless of age and gender for professional involvement. It has higher mental fitness demands, which might re?ect the ranking in top-level competition. However, it is unclear what type of anxiety affects the performance score. Therefore, the current study is to find the anxiety pattern, i.e., cognitive, somatic, and self-confidence among the elite youth shooters during training and competition correlating with their sports performance. METHOD: We analyzed the sports performance during training and competition and conducted Personal interviews with elite youth pistol and rifle shooters. The subject's Mental fitness was assessed by using the Competitive state anxiety inventory-2 methodology, which was evaluated just before 30mins on two occasions and correlated with scoring sheets. RESULTS: The Difference in mean of COGNITIVE ANXIETY score during match day and training day was statistically significant (p-value >0.05). The Difference in mean of SOMATIC ANXIETY, SELF CONFIDENCE, SCORE-TRAINING during match day and training day was not statistically significant. (p-value >0.05). CONCLUSION: Thus competitive anxiety is one of the determinant factors experienced by young elite shooters, and training them with appropriate modalities can help them to pursue the highest level of performance.

(In)tensões em fluxo no corpo vivo / (In)tensions influx in the living body / (In)tensiones que fluyen en el cuerpo vivo

Este artigo traz reflexões sobre o sistema fascial na aproximação com os estudos somáticos e a Educação Física. Deste escopo, apresenta-se um caminho de sensibilização que pretende dar visibilidade para a perspectiva facial na orientação do trabalho corporal. Tal caminho chama a atenção para o fato de que somos seres de natureza viscoelástica, e, enquanto tais, embora sejamos amplamente sujeitos à lógica biomecânica newtoniana, pulsamos nas entrelinhas dessa leitura calculista de compreensão da vida, de modo a afirmar a linguagem das (in)tensões, de onde se evidencia o sistema fascial. Neste sentido, as fáscias oferecem possibilidades interessantes para ingressarmos a fundo na linguagem e na compreensão do movimento humano, ao oportunizar a composição de visões mais amplas e conectivas acerca do corpo, que se apresentam à percepção como um universo fluído (aquoso), no qual irrompem as energias sutis, no ebulir das sensações, das emoções e dos sentimentos que preenchem de sentidos a experiência de movimento.

This article brings reflections about the fascial system in the approach to somatic studies and Physical Education. From this scope, a path of awarenessis presented, which aims to give visibility to the fascial perspective on bodywork orientation. This path draws our attention to the fact that we, as human beings, have viscoelastic properties, and, as such, although we are widely prone to the Newtonian biomechanical logic, we pulse in between the lines from its calculating classical literature of life comprehension, in such a way as to reaffirm the language of (in)tensions. In this sense, the qualification of the Physical Education intervention, which involves the need to seek greater attention and awareness of this (in)tensions flow, without which we do not ascend into the language and comprehension of the human movement, by providing the opportunity for the composition of broader and more connective views about the body, that are presented to the perception as a fluid (watery) universe, in which erupt the subtle energies, in the ebullition of sensations, emotions and feelings that fill of meaning the movement experience.

Este artículo trae reflexiones sobre sistema fascial en la aproximación con el estudios somáticos y la Educación Fisica. Desde este ámbito, se presenta um caminho de sensibilización, que pretende dar visibilidad a la perspectiva fascial en la orientación del trabajo corporal. Este caminho llama la atención sobre el hecho de que somos seres de naturaleza viscoelástica y, como tal, aunque estamos en gran parte sujetos a la lógica biomecânica newtoniana pulsamos entre las líneas de esta comprensión calculadora de la vida para afirmar el linguaje de las (in)tensiones. En este sentido, la calificación de la intervención en Educación Fisica implica la necesidade de buscar una major atención y conciencia de este (in)tensionalidades, sin las cuales lo llegaremos al fondo em el linguaje y comprensión del movimiento humano, al brindar oportunidades para la composición de miradas más amplas y conectivas sobre el cuerpo que se presentan a la percepción como un universo fluido (acuoso), en el que irrumpen energias sutiles, en la ebullición de sensaciones, emociones y sentimentos que llenan de sentidos la experiencia del movimiento.

CiteSpace-based visualization analysis of domestic and foreign research on somatic symptom disorder / 四川精神卫生

BackgroundThe etiology and pathogenesis of somatic symptom disorder are complicated， for which no effective treatment currently exists， posing a critical impact on their quality of life. ObjectiveTo analyze the current situation and development trend in domestic and foreign research on somatic symptom disorder from 2011 to 2021， and to better understand the research frontiers and hot spots in this field. MethodsOn 31 August 2022， literature on somatic symptom disorder published from January 1， 2011 to January 1， 2023 were searched in China National knowledge Infrastructure （CNKI）， Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform， Web of Science and PubMed， and a total of 15 035 articles were included， then the visualization analysis of the number of publications and keywords was conducted based on Microsoft Excel and CiteSpace software. ResultsIn the field of somatic symptoms disorder research from 2011 to 2021， the number of annual publications demonstrated an overall upward trend in foreign studies， and displayed a slow downward trend in domestic studies. The keyword co-occurrence network analysis revealed that the top five high-frequency keywords were "mental health" "depressive disorder" "depression" "anxiety" and "somatic symptom" in domestic studies， and were "symptom" "prevalence" "depression" "disorder" and "quality of life" in foreign studies. The burst analysis suggested that the burst terms in past five years were "somatic symptom" "syndrome" and "quality of life" in domestic studies， and were "major depressive disorder" and "outcome" in foreign studies. The clustering analysis yielded 8 clusters in domestic studies and 4 clusters in foreign studies， reflecting in the related disease， prevention and treatment protocols and epidemiological characteristics of somatic symptom disorder. ConclusionIn recent years， the publications and academic concerns regarding the research on somatic symptom disorder show an upward trend in foreign studies and are relatively inadequate in domestic studies， and both the domestic and foreign studies have been focused on the influencing factors of somatic symptom disorder. ［Funded by the Medical Health Science and Technology Project of Zhejiang Provincial （number， 2020PY064）； Medical Health Science and Technology Project of Hangzhou （number， 0020190783）］

Current research status of somatic symptom disorders in childhood / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Somatic symptom disorder are common in childhood, and associated with high-risk adult psychiatric disorders and more unexplained hospitalization.They are one of the factors that seriously hinder health sound growth of children.In this article, domestic and foreign studies on somatic symptom disorders were reviewed to discuss their concept change, etiology and pathogenesis, clinical manifestation, diagnosis, evaluation and treatment, in order to facilitate early identification and treatment of somatic symptom disorders in childhood.

Giro corporal y contrahegemonía en terapia ocupacional: diálogos conceptuales entre la somática en el campo de la salud y la corporalidad en antropología / Giro corporal e contrahegemonia em terapia ocupacional: diálogos conceituais entre a somática no campo da saúde e a corporeidade na antropologia / Bodily turn and counterhegemony in occupational therapy: conceptual dialogues between somatics in the health field and embodiment in anthropology

Resumen En terapia ocupacional, se observa un enfoque predominantemente biologicista del cuerpo. Por esta razón, el objetivo de este trabajo es contribuir a un giro corporal en la disciplina, a partir de la antropología de la corporalidad (embodiment). Esta se enfoca en el carácter culturalmente mediado de la experiencia corporal. En particular, se pretende vincular el creciente interés por los abordajes terapéuticos basados en técnicas somáticas con la preocupación por los aspectos socioculturales de la salud, el cuerpo y la enfermedad. Se propone denominar terapia ocupacional corporizada a la confluencia de ambos intereses. Para ello, se utilizan conceptos como "conciencia corporizada", "patrones de uso del cuerpo", "punto de vista desde el cuerpo", "técnicas corporales reflexivas" y "modos somáticos de atención". A fin de ilustrar los mismos, se analiza el caso de estilos corporizados de yoga (Hatha, Ashtānga y Vinyasa), cuyas técnicas son de referencia en el campo de la somática y la salud debido a sus múltiples apropiaciones. Finalmente, se sugiere que el interés por lo somático y por lo social podrían converger en propuestas contrahegemónicas dentro de la disciplina de la terapia ocupacional tal como es ejercida en Latinoamérica.

Resumo Na terapia ocupacional, observa-se uma abordagem predominantemente biológica do corpo. Por esse motivo, o objetivo deste artigo é contribuir para um giro corporal na disciplina, com base na antropologia da corporeidade (embodiment). Isso se concentra no caráter culturalmente mediado da experiência corporal. Em particular, o objetivo é vincular o crescente interesse em abordagens terapêuticas baseadas em técnicas somáticas com a preocupação com os aspectos socioculturais da saúde, do corpo e da doença. Propõe-se chamar a confluência de ambos os interesses em Terapia Ocupacional Corporalizada. Para isso, são usados conceitos como "consciência corporificada", "padrões de uso do corpo", "ponto de vista do corpo", "técnicas corporais reflexivas" e "modos somáticos de atendimento". Para ilustrá-las, é analisado o caso dos estilos de yoga incorporados (Hatha, Ashtānga e Vinyasa), cujas técnicas são de referência no campo da somática e da saúde devido às suas múltiplas apropriações. Por fim, sugere-se que o interesse pelo somático e pelo social poderia convergir em propostas contra hegemônicas dentro da disciplina da terapia ocupacional na América Latina.

Abstract In occupational therapy, a predominantly biologistic approach to the body is prevalent. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to a bodily turn in the discipline based on the anthropology of embodiment. It focuses on the culturally mediated character of bodily experience. In particular, is the study seeks to link the growing interest in therapeutic approaches rooted in somatic techniques with the concern for the sociocultural aspects of health, body, and disease. It is proposed to name this confluence of interests Embodied Occupational Therapy. For this purpose, concepts such as "embodied awareness", "patterns of body use", "point of view from the body", "reflexive body techniques", and "somatic modes of attention" are explored. The case of embodied yoga styles (Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa), whose techniques serve as benchmarks in the somatics and health field because of their multiple applications, are analyzed to illustrate these concepts. Finally, it is suggested that the interest in the somatic and the social could converge on counter-hegemonic proposals within the occupational therapy discipline as practiced in Latin America.

Spontaneous spheroids from alveolar bone-derived mesenchymal stromal cells maintain pluripotency of stem cells by regulating hypoxia-inducible factors

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous spheroid culture is a novel three-dimensional (3D) culture strategy for the rapid and efficient selection of progenitor cells. The objectives of this study are to investigate the pluripotency and differentiation capability of spontaneous spheroids from alveolar bone-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (AB-MSCs); compare the advantages of spontaneous spheroids to those of mechanical spheroids; and explore the mechanisms of stemness enhancement during spheroid formation from two-dimensional (2D) cultured cells. METHODS: AB-MSCs were isolated from the alveolar bones of C57BL/6 J mice. Spontaneous spheroids formed in low-adherence specific culture plates. The stemness, proliferation, and multi-differentiation capacities of spheroids and monolayer cultures were investigated by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), immunofluorescence, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, and oil-red O staining. The pluripotency difference between the spontaneous and mechanical spheroids was analyzed using RT-qPCR. Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIFs) inhibition experiments were performed to explore the mechanisms of stemness maintenance in AB-MSC spheroids. RESULTS: AB-MSCs successfully formed spontaneous spheroids after 24 h. AB-MSC spheroids were positive for MSC markers and pluripotency markers (Oct4, KLF4, Sox2, and cMyc). Spheroids showed higher Ki67 expression and lower Caspase3 expression at 24 h. Under the corresponding conditions, the spheroids were successfully differentiated into osteogenic and adipogenic lineages. AB-MSC spheroids can induce neural-like cells after neurogenic differentiation. Higher expression of osteogenic markers, adipogenic markers, and neurogenic markers (NF-M, NeuN, and GFAP) was found in spheroids than in the monolayer. Spontaneous spheroids exhibited higher stemness than mechanical spheroids did. HIF-1α and HIF-2α were remarkably upregulated in spheroids. After HIF-1/2α-specific inhibition, spheroid formation was significantly reduced. Moreover, the expression of the pluripotency genes was suppressed. CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous spheroids from AB-MSCs enhance stemness and pluripotency. HIF-1/2α plays an important role in the stemness regulation of spheroids. AB-MSC spheroids exhibit excellent multi-differentiation capability, which may be a potent therapy for craniomaxillofacial tissue regeneration.

Research progress on the role of urothelial somatic mutations in the occurrence and recurrence of bladder cancer / 现代泌尿外科杂志

Bladder cancer is characterized by high incidence and high recurrence; however, the mechanism of pathogenesis, especially of recurrence is still unclear. This paper reviews the molecular characteristics of bladder cancer, urothelial somatic mutation, driver genes and mutation characteristics, and prospects the future research directions.

Professor ZHANG Wei-hua's clinical experience in chronic somatic pain treated with zhidong needling techniques / 中国针灸

The paper summarizes professor ZHANG Wei-hua's clinical experience for the treatment of chronic somatic pain with zhidong needling techniques. In terms of the characteristics of chronic somatic pain, professor ZHANG has integrated zhidong needling with acupuncture kinetic therapy. The satisfactory therapeutic effects are obtained by selecting the painful points and regions as the treatment sites and the specific techniques of zhidong needling depending on the size of affected area, the depth of illness, the size and shape of the cord-like muscle, etc. Five techniques of zhidong needling are used accordingly with twirling, pulling, lifting and thrusting, surrounding needling methods involved, as well as with the manipulation speed, direction and frequency considered.

The influencing factors of functional somatic discomfort in clinical nurses / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To investigate the functional somatic discomfort status, and to analyze the effect of job stress, hostile attribution bias and ego depletion on functional somatic discomfort in clinical nurses. Methods: In May 2019, 10 cities in Henan Province and Fujian Province were randomly selected as sampling cities. Using the stratified cluster sampling method, nurses of clinical nursing posts in 22 third class hospitals and 23 second class hospitals were selected as the research objects. The general information, job stress, hostile attribution bias, ego depletion and functional somatic discomfort of clinical nurses were investigated by self-designed general information questionnaire, Perceived Stress Scale, Social Information Processing-attribution Bias Questionnaire, Self-regulatory Fatigue Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-15. 1200 clinical nurses included, and a total of 1159 valid questionnaires were collected, the effective rate of questionnaire collection was 96.6%. The t test was used to compare the difference of the functional somatic discomfort scores of clinical nurses with different demographic characteristicst. The influence of job stress, hostile attribution bias and ego depletion on functional somatic discomfort of clinical nurses were analyzed with Bootstrap. Results: The functional somatic discomfort score of clinical nurses was (8.95±4.38), of which 859 (74.12%) had functional somatic discomfort symptom. The functional somatic discomfort score of clinical nurses aged 36-50 years old was higher than that of 19-35 years old, the functional somatic discomfort score of clinical nurses with service age ≥5 years was higher than that of <5 years, the functional somatic discomfort score of non-permanent clinical nurses was higher than that of permanent clinical nurses, the functional somatic discomfort score of clinical nurses in tertiary hospitals was higher than that of secondary hospitals, the functional somatic discomfort score of clinical nurses in surgical departments were higher than those in non-surgical departments, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). Job stress affected functional somatic discomfort through the single mediating role of hostile attribution bias, the single mediating role of ego depletion, and the chain mediating role of hostile attribution bias and ego depletion (β=0.17, 95%CI: 0.10-0.20; β=0.16, 95%CI: 0.10-0.20; β=0.07, 95%CI: 0.03-0.10; P<0.05) . Conclusion: The functional somatic discomfort symptoms of clinical nurses are significant and varied among different age, working age, employment form, hospital grade and department groups. They are affected by work stress directly and through the separate mediating effect of hostile attribution bias and ego depletion, and the chain mediating effect of hostile attribution bias and ego depletion.

Prevalence of Somatic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in ovarian cancer among Filipinos using next generation sequencing

INTRODUCTION@#Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality in women. In 2020, 5,395 (6.2%) of diagnosed malignancies in females were ovarian in origin. It also ranked second among gynecologic malignancies after cervical cancer. The prevalence in Asian /Pacific women is 9.2 per 100,000 population. Increased mortality and poor prognosis in ovarian cancer are caused by asymptomatic growth and delayed or absent symptoms for which about 70% of women have an advanced stage (III/IV) by the time of diagnosis. The most associated gene mutations are Breast Cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) which is identified in chromosome 17q21 and Breast Cancer gene 2 (BRCA2) identified in chromosome 13. Both proteins function in the double-strand DNA break repair pathway especially in the large framework repair molecules. Olaparib is a first-line drug used in the management of ovarian cancer. It targets affected cells by inhibition of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activity which induces synthetic lethality in mutated BRCA1/2 cancers by selectively targeting tumor cells that fail to repair DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs).@*OBJECTIVE@#The study aims to determine the prevalence of pathogenic somatic mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 among patients diagnosed of having ovarian cancer, to characterize the identified variants into benign/ no pathogenic variant identified, variant of uncertain significance (VUS), and pathogenic, and to determine the relationship of specific mutations detected with histomorphologic findings and clinical attributes.@*METHODOLOGY@#Ovarian cancer tissues available at the St. Luke’s Medical Center Human Cancer Biobank and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks diagnosed as ovarian cancer from the year 2016 to 2020 were included. Determination of the prevalence of somatic BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS).@*RESULTS@#A total of 60 samples were processed, and three samples were excluded from the analysis due to an inadequate number of cells. In the remaining 57 samples diagnosed ovarian tumors, pathogenic BRCA1/2 variants were identified in 10 (17.5%) samples. Among the BRCA1/2 positive samples, 3 (5.3%) BRCA1 and 7 (12.3%) BRCA2 somatic mutations were identified.@*CONCLUSION@#Identification of specific BRCA1/2 mutations in FFPE samples with NGS plays a big role in the management of ovarian cancer, particularly with the use of targeted therapies such as Olaparib. The use of this drug could provide a longer disease-free survival for these patients. Furthermore, we recommend that women diagnosed with ovarian cancer should be subjected to genetic testing regardless of the histologic subtypes or clinical features. Lastly, genetic testing should be done along with proper genetic counseling, especially for patients who are susceptible to these mutations.

Determinants of Clinical Behavior and Prognosis in Cushing's Disease: A Quest for Useful Biomarkers

ABSTRACT Cushing's disease (CD) is the most common cause of endogenous hypercortisolemia. The clinical management of this condition is complex and entails multiple therapeutic strategies, treatment of chronic comorbidities, and lifelong surveillance for recurrences and complications. The identification of robust, practical, and reliable markers of disease behavior and prognosis could potentially allow for a tailored and cost-efficient management of each patient, as well as for a reduction of the medical procedure-associated stress. For this purpose, multiple clinical, biochemical, imaging, histopathological, molecular, and genetic features have been evaluated over the years. Only a handful of them, however, have been sufficiently validated for their application in the routine care of patients with CD. This review summarizes the current status of the established and potential biomarkers of CD, bases for their use, proposed and/or established utility, as well as advantages and barriers for their implementation in the clinic.

Ética de la edición genética en seres humanos

Propósito/Contexto. Este artículo analiza aspectos éticos de la edición genética en seres humanos. Metodología/Enfoque. Se describe el desarrollo de las principales aplicaciones de la tecnología genética en prevención, diagnóstico y terapéutica de enfermedades genéticas en las últimas décadas, culminando con la edición genética. Resultados/Hallazgos. Se definen los principales aspectos éticos que presenta la edición genética somática y germinal en seres humanos, incluyendo cuestiones de seguridad, especificidad, precisión y certeza. Se critica la edición genética germinal y el concepto de "mejoramiento" humano por vulnerar la autonomía individual, generar cambios genéticos heredables en la progenie y aceptar la falacia del reduccionismo genético de que los rasgos de las personas dependen exclusivamente de la constitución genética, independiente del ambiente. Discusión/Conclusiones/Contribuciones. La edición genética somática puede ser ética si se siguen las normas éticas de la investigación biomédica. Por el contrario, la edición genética germinal no es pertinente ni necesaria para el tratamiento de enfermedades genéticas y presenta graves conflictos éticos, por lo cual, previo a su aplicación es necesario un consenso social por discusiones democráticas, amplias y profundas entre todos los actores sociales involucrados, seguido de mecanismos de gobernanza con regulación robusta por parte del estado, que impidan la vulneración de derechos humanos fundamentales.

Purpose/Context. This article discusses ethical aspects of gene editing in humans. Methodology/Approach. The main applications of genetic technology in the prevention, diagnosis and therapeutics of genetic diseases in recent decades, are described, culminating with genetic editing. Results/Findings. The main ethical aspects of somatic and germline gene editing in humans are discussed, including issues of safety, specificity, precision and certainty. Germline genetic editing and human "enhancement" are criticized for violating individual autonomy, for generating heritable genetic changes in the progeny and for accepting the fallacy of genetic reductionism that people's traits depend exclusively on genetic makeup, independent of the environment. Discussion/Conclusions/Contributions. Somatic gene editing can be ethical if the ethical standards of biomedical research are followed. However, germline genetic editing is not relevant nor necessary for the treatment of genetic diseases and, furthermore, it presents serious ethical conflicts. Therefore, prior to its application, a social consensus is necessary, obtained by democratic, broad and profound discussions among all the social players involved, followed by governance mechanisms with robust regulation by the state, which prevent the violation of fundamental human rights.

Finalidade/Contexto. Este artigo discute aspectos éticos da edição de genes em humanos. Metodologia/Aproximação. Descreve o desenvolvimento das principais aplicações da tecnologia genética na prevenção, diagnóstico e terapia de doenças genéticas nas últimas décadas, culminando com a edição de genes. Resultados/Descobertas. São definidos os principais aspectos éticos da edição de genes somáticos e da linha germinal no ser humano, incluindo questões de segurança, especificidade, precisão e exactidão. A edição genética da Germline e o conceito de "melhoramento" humano são criticados por violarem a autonomia individual, gerando alterações genéticas hereditárias nos descendentes e aceitando a falácia do reducionismo genético de que as características das pessoas dependem exclusivamente da sua constituição genética, independente do ambiente. Discussão/Conclusões/Contribuições. A edição somática de genes pode ser ética se os padrões éticos da investigação biomédica forem seguidos. Pelo contrário, a edição genética na linha germinal não é relevante nem necessária para o tratamento de doenças genéticas e apresenta graves conflitos éticos. Por conseguinte, antes da sua aplicação, é necessário um consenso social através de discussões democráticas, amplas e profundas entre todos os actores sociais envolvidos, seguidas de mecanismos de governação com regulação robusta por parte do Estado, que impeçam a violação dos direitos humanos fundamentais.

Aspectos citogenéticos y moleculares en los síndromes mielodisplásicos / Cytogenetic and molecular aspects in myelodysplastic syndromes

Introducción: Los síndromes mielodisplásicos constituyen un grupo heterogéneo de alteraciones de la célula progenitora hematopoyética. Estos se caracterizan por presentar una médula ósea hipercelular, una hematopoyesis inefectiva, displasia y citopenia periférica y la posibilidad de evolución a leucemia mieloide aguda. Objetivo: Describir las alteraciones citogenéticas y moleculares más frecuentes de los síndromes mielodisplásicos. Métodos: Se realizó una revisión de la literatura en los idiomas inglés y español, a través del sitio web PubMed y el motor de búsqueda Google académico, de artículos publicados en los últimos cinco años. Se realizó análisis y resumen de la bibliografía. Análisis y síntesis de la información: En los síndromes mielodisplásicos están presentes alteraciones citogenéticas frecuentes como la deleción de los cromosomas 5q, 7q y 20q, la monosomía del cromosoma 7, la trisomía del cromosoma 8 y la presencia de cariotipos complejos, que, unido a mutaciones somáticas en diferentes genes, intervienen en la patogénesis de la enfermedad y su conocimiento permite la estratificación pronóstica de los pacientes. Conclusiones: El diagnóstico a través de los estudios citogenéticos convencionales, la hibridación in situ por fluorescencia y la secuenciación génica permite una mayor comprensión de la biología de la enfermedad, la estratificación del riesgo y la toma de decisiones terapéuticas(AU)

Introduction: Myelodysplastic syndromes constitute a heterogeneous group of alterations of the hematopoietic progenitor cell, characterized by hypercellular bone marrow, ineffective hematopoietic, dysplasia and peripheral cytopenia; and the possibility of progressing to acute myeloid leukemia. Objective: To describe the most frequent cytogenetic and molecular alterations of myelodysplastic syndromes. Methods: A review of the literature in English and in Spanish was carried out, in the PubMed website and using the search engine Google, for articles published in the last five years. We performed analysis and summary of the reviewed bibliography. Analysis and synthesis of information: In myelodysplastic syndromes, frequent cytogenetic alterations are present such as deletion of chromosomes 5q, 7q and 20q, as well as the monosomy of chromosome 7, trisomy of chromosome 8 and the presence of complex karyotypes, which together with somatic mutations in different genes intervene in the pathogenesis of the disease and allow prognostic stratification of patients. Conclusions: Diagnosis through conventional cytogenetic studies, fluorescence in situ hybridization and gene sequencing allow a better understanding of the biology of the disease, risk stratification and therapeutic decision making(AU)

Comparative evaluation of the effects of three hydraulic calcium silicate cements on odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp stem cells: an in vitro study

Abstract Objective The study aimed to compare the response of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) towards three hydraulic calcium silicate cements (HCSCs) by measuring cytotoxicity and expression of dentinogenic genes. Methodology Dental pulps of five impacted mandibular third molars were extirpated as a source for hDPSCs. Next to culturing, hDPSCs were subjected to fluorescence-activated cell sorting after the third passage to validate stemness of the cells. Human DPSCs were exposed to diluted supernatants of OrthoMTA (OMTA), Biodentine (BD) and Calcium-Enriched Mixture (CEM) at concentrations 10, 25, 50 and 100% at the first, third and fifth day of culture. Then, cells were exposed to 10% concentrations supernatant of HCSCs to determine DSPP and DMP1 gene expression, using a quantitative polymerase-chain reaction. Data were analyzed using one-way and three-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey post hoc statistical tests. Results Optimal cell proliferation was observed in all groups, regardless of concentration and time-point. HCSC supernatants were non-cytotoxic to hDPSCs at all three time-points, except for 100% Biodentine on day five. On day seven, OMTA group significantly upregulated the expression of DSPP and DMP1 genes. On day 14, expression of DMP1 and DSPP genes were significantly higher in BD and OMTA groups, respectively. Conclusion Biodentine significantly upregulated DMP1 gene expression over 14 days, whereas CEM was associated with only minimal expression of DSPP and DMP1 .

Validity and reliability of the depression and somatic symptoms scale for screening depression among patients with coronary heart disease / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To assess the validity and reliability of the depression and somatic symptoms scale among patients with coronary heart disease.Methods:Totally 246 patients with coronary heart disease were assessed with depression and somatic symptoms scale (DSSS), Hamilton depression rating scale for depression (HAMD) and patients’ health questionnaire depression scale-9 item (PHQ-9). The structural validity was evaluated with exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. The validity as a screening tool was evaluated with the gold standard diagnosed by psychiatrists who were trained with the mini international neuropsychological interview (MINI) according to ICD-10. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to identify cutoff scores for depression. Cronbach α coefficient was used to evaluate the internal consistency.Results:Exploratory factor analysis yielded two factors: depression factor and somatic factor, and the cumulative variance was 51.8%. The fitting indexes of confirmatory factor analysis were as follows: χ2/ df=3.636, RMR=0.077, RMSEA=0.104, IFI=0.804, TLI=0.781, CFI=0.802. The intraclass correlation coefficient of DSSS and HAMD was 0.54. The area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.828, and the best boundary value was 17 points (sensitivity and specificity: 81% and 75%, respectively). The total scores and subscale scores for internal consistency of DSSS were higher in the depression group than those in the non-depression group ( P<0.01). Cronbach α coefficient for internal consistency of DSSS was 0.917. Conclusion:The DSSS has good validity and reliability among patients with coronary heart disease for screening depression, and can be used to screen depression among patients with coronary heart disease in general hospital.