Purslane (Portulacae oleracea L.) polysaccharide relieves cadmium-induced colonic impairments by restricting Cd accumulation and inhibiting inflammatory responses.

This study aimed to assess the protective effects of purslane polysaccharide (PP) on colonic impairments in mice exposed to cadmium (Cd). C57BL/6 mice were administered with PP (200-800 mg/kg/day) by gavage for 4 weeks after treatment with 100 mg·L-1 CdCl2. PP significantly reduced Cd accumulation in the colon tissue and promoted the excretion of Cd in the feces. PP could reduce the expression levels of inflammatory factors (tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and IL-6) and inhibit the activation of the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition, the results of 16S rRNA analysis revealed that PP significantly increased the abundance of probiotics (Lactobacillus), while decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria (Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group). Following the augmentation of beneficial intestinal bacteria, the treatment with PP led to an increase in the levels of intestinal microbial metabolites, specifically short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). The SCFAs are known for their anti-inflammatory properties, immune-regulatory effects, and promotion of intestinal barrier function. Additionally, the results suggested that PP effectively impeded the enterohepatic circulation by inhibiting the FXR-FGF15 axis in the intestines of Cd-exposed mice. In summary, PP mitigated the toxic effects of Cd by limiting its accumulation and suppressing inflammatory responses in colon.

Positive mental health framework of transdiagnostic protective factors in elucidating the association between adverse childhood experiences and severe mental disorders.

OBJECTIVES: Transdiagnostic risk factors-disrupted processes common to psychopathology-link adverse childhood experiences to severe mental disorders (i.e. major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia spectrum disorders); however, transdiagnostic protective factors are understudied. The present study investigated the association between a positive mental health framework of protective intra- and interpersonal resources and severe mental disorders in individuals with adverse childhood experiences. We hypothesized that (1) individuals with adverse childhood experiences will experience more severe mental disorders and poorer intra- and interpersonal resources than those without adverse childhood experiences; (2) intrapersonal (e.g. general coping) and interpersonal resources (e.g. emotional support) will interact to predict severe mental disorders. METHODS: A total of 1929 adults participated in this population-based study. Participants were assessed for adverse childhood experiences, severe mental disorders, and intra- and interpersonal resources (general coping, general affect, emotional support, interpersonal skills, spirituality, and personal growth and autonomy) via structured interviews and self-reports. RESULTS: As hypothesized, individuals with adverse childhood experiences (62.6%) experienced more severe mental disorders and poorer intra- and interpersonal resources than those without adverse childhood experiences. Among those with adverse childhood experiences, emotional support interacted with general coping and general affect to predict severe mental disorders; general coping and general affect were negatively associated with severe mental disorders at high (+1 SD) and low (-1 SD) emotional support, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present study identified interactions between specific intrapersonal (i.e. general coping and general affect) and interpersonal resources (i.e. emotional support); knowing among whom and when to intervene are essential for optimal treatment of adverse childhood experiences and severe mental disorders.

Global emotion dysregulation and maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies mediate the effects of severe trauma on depressive and positive symptoms in early non-affective psychosis.

BACKGROUND: Previous research has shown that childhood trauma contributes to the onset and maintenance of psychosis. However, few studies have accounted for the effects of lifetime trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and none have examined the mediating role of emotion dysregulation in symptom maintenance after severe trauma. The purpose of this study is to determine whether maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) and global emotion dysregulation mediate the effects of probable PTSD on depressive symptoms, and whether this pathway extends to influence positive symptoms in patients with early non-affective psychotic disorders. METHODS: A total of 150 outpatients with early non-affective psychosis were assessed for trauma exposure, DSM-5 PTSD symptoms, CERS, global emotion dysregulation, and current depressive and positive symptoms. Parallel and serial mediation analyses based on ordinary least squares regressions were used to test the hypothesized models. RESULTS: Mediation analyses controlling for gender, psychiatric comorbidities, antipsychotic medication dosage, duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), family history of mental illness, and cumulative trauma revealed that maladaptive CERS (rumination, catastrophic thinking, and self-blame) and global emotion dysregulation mediated the effects of probable PTSD on depressive symptoms (R2 = 41%), while maladaptive CERS, global emotion dysregulation, and depressive symptoms mediated the effects of probable PTSD on positive symptoms (R2 = 30%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the indirect effects of maladaptive CERS and global emotion dysregulation on maintaining depressive and positive symptoms. Emotion dysregulation may be a potential transdiagnostic treatment target to alleviate depressive and positive symptoms in traumatized patients with early non-affective psychosis.

Emotion Dysregulation Mediating Associations Among Work Stress, Burnout, and Problem Gambling: A Serial Multiple Mediation Model.

This study aimed to examine psychological mechanisms underlying work stress and burnout that may increase the risk of problem gambling. A serial multiple mediation model is proposed to specify that work stress (high job demand-low job control) can deplete employee resources and lead to burnout. Employees who have emotion dysregulation may engage in gambling to escape or avoid burnout and negative emotions at work. Over time, these employees may become increasingly rely on gambling to cope with their burnout experience, leading to problem gambling. A total of 1233 full-time employees in the United States completed a web survey on work stress. Results supported the proposed serial multiple mediation model. The indirect effect of work stress on problem gambling first through burnout then through emotion dysregulation was significant. The direct effect of work stress on problem gambling was reduced to nonsignificance after controlling for the two mediators (burnout and emotion dysregulation). When the two mediators were considered together in the specified sequence, the indirect effects of work stress on problem gambling through individual mediators were also reduced to nonsignificance. Gender was a nonsignificant moderator, and pathways of the proposed serial multiple mediation model were similar for men and women. Supplementary analyses did not support an alternate sequence of mediators. The present findings suggest that prevention and treatment programs for work stress, burnout, and problem gambling should include the assessment and enhancement of emotion regulation skills.

Transarterial chemoembolization extends long-term survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma.

The long-term survival benefit of treating unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) rather than conservative treatment remains controversial. This retrospective case-control study evaluated the survival of patients with unresectable HCC treated with TACE, relative to that of patients who received best supportive care.From January 2002 to December 2010, 522 of 2386 consecutive patients with unresectable HCC were enrolled. Patients were treated with TACE (n = 347) or best supportive care (non-TACE; n = 175). A survival analysis compared the survival of the 2 groups, as well as only those at Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer Classification (BCLC)-C and Child-Pugh-B (39 TACE, 61 non-TACE).The median follow-up was 5 months (0.15-106 months).The overall median survival of the TACE group (8.0 months) was significantly longer than that of the non-TACE (2.0 months; P ≤ .01). Of the patients at BCLC-C and Child-Pugh-B, the overall median survivals of the TACE and non-TACE patients were 6.0 and 2.0 months, respectively (P ≤ .01); and the 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8-year overall survival rates were significantly superior in the TACE group (P ≤ .01). For all the patients, the independent predictors of survival were treatment modalities, portal vein tumor thrombosis, alpha-fetoprotein, and BCLC stage. Regarding the TACE patients, contributors to prognosis were portal vein tumor thrombosis, alpha-fetoprotein level, and the number of TACE procedures.TACE for unresectable HCC was associated with longer survival compared with best supportive care, especially for patients at BCLC-C and Child-Pugh-B.

Workaholism on Job Burnout: A Comparison Between American and Chinese Employees.

Past research frequently reports significant relation between workaholism and job burnout, and some studies further indicate workaholism varies across countries. Surprisingly, there is no study that directly examines whether country moderates the workaholism-burnout association. To address this research question, we have collected independent work samples from two culturally diverse countries, namely the People's Republic of China and the United States. A total of 2243 participants (1243 American respondents and 1000 Chinese respondents) were recruited. Preliminary group comparison suggested that there were statistical differences among participants from different industries on the key variables, including workaholism, job demands, autonomy and emotional exhaustion. Therefore, we have divided our participants into three subsamples [i.e., (1) natural resources, mining and construction industry, (2) manufacturing industry, and (3) service industry] and separate analyses were conducted. In the moderated regression analyses, workaholism significantly predicted two dimensions of job burnout, namely emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, even when job demand and job autonomy were controlled. Finally, although two significant moderating effects were found, there was a lack of consistent empirical support to the hypothesized moderating effect of country on workaholism-burnout association. Implications and limitations were discussed.

[DNAzyme cracking-nanogold resonance Rayleigh scattering spectral method for the determination of trace Cu2+].

In the condition of pH 7.0 HEPES buffer solution and 0.19 mol x L(-1) NaCl, the substrate strand DNA (SS) and the enzyme strand DNA (ES) hybridized into a double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) at 80 degrees C. The substrate chain of dsDNA could be cracked by Cu2+, and the released single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) were adsorbed on the nanogold(NG) surface to produce a stable NGssDNA conjugate. The unprotected NG was aggregated to form NG aggregation (NGA) that exhibited a resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) peak at 627 nm. When the Cu2+ was added, the NGssDNA increased, and the NGA decreased that caused the RRS intensity decreasing at 627 nm, and the solution color changed from blue to red. The decreased RS intensity deltaI was linear with the Cu2+ was added, the NGssDNA increased, and the NGA decreased that caused the RRS intensity decreasing at 627 nm, the solution color changed from blue to red. The decreased RS intensity deltaI was linear to the Cu2+ concentration in the range of 15-1 250 nmol x L(-1), with a regression equation of deltaI = 0.17c-2.3, coefficient of 0.989 5 and a detection limit of 8 nmol x L(-1) Cu2+. In addition, the influence of foreign substances on the determination of 0.75 micromol x L(-1) Cu2+ was considered. The results show that 3 micro mol x L(-1) Ca2+, Pb2+ and Hg2+, 2 micromol x L(-1) Fe2+, 1 micromol x L(-1) Sn2+, 4 micromol x L(-1) Al3+, 12 micromol x L(-1) Mn2+, 4 micromol x L(-1) Co2+ and Ni2+ did not interfered with the determination. This indicates that this method has good selectivity. This new, rapid, sensitive, selective RRS method was applied to the determination of Cu2+ in water, with satisfactory results.

Expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in extrahepatic biliary tract carcinoma and dysplasia.

AIM: To compare the difference of expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in extrahepatic biliary tract carcinoma and dysplasia, and to analyze the role of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in the progression from dysplasia to carcinoma and to evaluate the correlation of Bcl-2/Bax protein expression with the biological behaviors. METHODS: Expressions of Bcl-2 and Bax were examined immunohistochemically in 27 cases of extrahepatic biliary tract carcinomas (bile duct carcinoma: n=21, carcinoma of ampulla of Vater: n=6), and 10 cases of atypical dysplasia. Five cases of normal biliary epithelial tissues were used as controls. A semiquantitative scoring system was used to assess the Bcl-2 and Bax reactivity. RESULTS: The expression of Bcl-2 was observed in 10 out of 27 (37.0%) invasive carcinomas, 1 out of 10 dysplasias, none out of 5 normal epithelial tissues. Bax expression rate was 74.1% (20/27) in invasive carcinoma, 30% (3/10) in dysplasia, and 40% (2/5) in normal biliary epithelium. Bcl-2 and Bax activities were more intense in carcinoma than in dysplasia, with no significant difference in Bcl-2 expression (P=0.110), and significant difference in Bax expression (P=0.038). Level of Bax expression was higher in invasive carcinoma than in dysplasia and normal tissue (P=0.012). Bcl-2 expression was correlated to Bax expression (P=0.0059). However, Bcl-2/Bax expression had no correlation with histological subtype, grade of differentiation, or level of invasion. CONCLUSION: Increased Bcl-2/Bax expression from dysplasia to invasive tumors supports the view that this is the usual route for the development of extrahepatic biliary tract carcinoma. Bcl-2/Bax may be involved, at least in part, in the apoptotic activity in extrahepatic biliary carcinoma.