Stigma and its associations with self-confidence and sexual relations in 4 types of premature ejaculation.

BACKGROUND: Although men with premature ejaculation (PE) always show more negative emotions, including embarrassment, guilt and worry, this may be related to the stigma of PE. To investigated stigma and its associations with self-confidence and sexual relations in 4 PE syndromes, a survey was conducted in our hospital from December 2018 to December 2019 among 350 men with self-reported PE and 252 men without self-reported PE. The stigma, self-confidence and sexual relations were assessed by the Social Impact Scale (SIS) and Self-Esteem and Relationship questionnaire (SEAR), respectively. Ejaculation control, sexual life satisfaction and distress caused by PE were evaluated by the Index of PE. RESULTS: Men with self-reported PE had higher internalized shame and social isolation scores and lower SEAR scores than control subjects. The highest score of internalized shame and social isolation and the lowest score of SEAR appeared in men with lifelong PE (LPE). After age adjustment, the positive relationships were stronger between distress about PE and internalized shame. Whereas, the stronger negative associations were found between social isolation and sexual satisfaction. The strongest association was observed between social isolation and sexual relationship. Therefore, the stigma associated with PE adversely affects the self-confidence, self-esteem, and sexual relationships of men with PE. CONCLUSION: Men with PE, especially LPE, have a high level of stigma and disharmonious sexual relations, and often lack self-confidence and self-esteem, which have a certain negative impact on their physical and mental health and life. These will be the key issues to be considered when we formulate a personalized treatment plan for PE.

RéSUMé: CONTEXTE: Bien que les hommes atteints d'éjaculation précoce (EP) montrent plus d'émotions négatives toujours, notamment de l'embarras, de la culpabilité et de l'inquiétude, cela peut être lié à la stigmatisation de l'EP. Afin d'étudier la stigmatisation et ses associations avec la confiance en soi et les relations sexuelles dans 4 syndromes d'EP, une enquête a été menée dans notre hôpital de décembre 2018 à décembre 2019 auprès de 350 hommes atteints d'EP autodéclarée et de 252 hommes sans EP autodéclarée. La stigmatisation, la confiance en soi et les relations sexuelles ont été évaluées respectivement à l'aide de l'échelle d'impact social (SIS) et du questionnaire sur l'estime de soi et les relations (SEAR). Le contrôle de l'éjaculation, la satisfaction de la vie sexuelle et la détresse causée par l'EP ont été évalués par l'indice d'EP. RéSULTATS: Les hommes ayant une EP autodéclarée avaient des scores de honte intériorisée et d'isolement social plus élevés, et des scores SEAR inférieurs, à ceux des sujets témoins. Le score le plus élevé de honte intériorisée et d'isolement social, et le score le plus bas de SEAR, sont apparus chez les hommes atteints d'EP à vie (EPL). Après ajustement sur l'âge, les relations positives étaient plus fortes entre la détresse due à l'EP et la honte intériorisée. Les associations négatives les plus fortes ont été trouvées entre l'isolement social et la satisfaction sexuelle. Par conséquent, la stigmatisation associée à l'EP affecte négativement la confiance en soi, l'estime de soi et les relations sexuelles des hommes atteints d'EP. CONCLUSION: Les hommes atteints d'EP, en particulier ceux atteints d'EPL, ont un niveau élevé de stigmatisation et de relations sexuelles disharmonieuses, et ils manquent souvent de confiance en soi et d'estime de soi; ce qui a un impact négatif certain sur leur santé physique et mentale, et sur leur vie. Ce seront les questions clés à prendre en compte lorsque nous formulerons un plan de traitement personnalisé pour l'EP.

Circadian rhythm dysfunction and psychopathology in the offspring of parents with bipolar disorder: a high-risk study in the Chinese population.

Background: Understanding the evolution of circadian rhythm dysfunction and psychopathology in the high-risk population has important implications for the prevention of bipolar disorder. Nevertheless, some of the previous studies on the emergence of psychopathologies and circadian dysfunction among high-risk populations were inconsistent and limited. Aims: To examine the prevalence rates of sleep and circadian dysfunctions, mental disorders and their symptoms in the offspring of parents with (O-BD) and without bipolar disorder (O-control). Methods: The study included 191 O-BD and 202 O-control subjects aged 6-21 years from the Greater Bay Area, China. The diagnoses and symptoms of sleep/circadian rhythm and mental disorders were assessed by the Diagnostic Interview for Sleep Patterns and Disorders, and the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version, respectively. Generalised estimating equations and shared frailty proportional hazards models of survival analysis were applied to compare the outcomes in the offspring. Results: Adjusting for age, sex and region of recruitment, there was a significantly higher risk of delayed sleep phase symptoms (9.55% vs 2.58%, adjusted OR: 4.04) in O-BD than in O-control. O-BD had a nearly fivefold higher risk of mood disorders (11.70% vs 3.47%, adjusted OR: 4.68) and social anxiety (6.28% vs 1.49%, adjusted OR: 4.70), a fourfold higher risk of depressive disorders (11.17% vs 3.47%, adjusted OR: 3.99) and a threefold higher risk of mood symptoms (20.74% vs 10.40%, adjusted OR: 2.59) than O-control. Subgroup analysis revealed that O-BD children (aged under 12 years) had a nearly 2-fold higher risk of any mental and behavioural symptoms than O-control, while there was a nearly 4-fold higher risk of delayed sleep phase symptoms, a 7.5-fold higher risk of social anxiety and a 3-fold higher risk of mood symptoms in O-BD adolescents (aged 12 years and over). Conclusions: There was an increase in delayed sleep phase symptoms in O-BD adolescents compared with their control counterparts, confirming the central role of circadian rhythm dysfunction in bipolar disorder. The findings of the specific age-related and stage-related developmental patterns of psychopathologies and circadian dysfunction in children and adolescent offspring of parents with bipolar disorder paved the way to develop specific and early clinical intervention and prevention strategies. Trial registration number: NCT03656302.

Memorization strategy and foreign language learning: a narrative literature review.

Memorization strategy as a subset of language learning strategy (LLS) has long been investigated to explain foreign language learners' learning behaviors and uncover the role that it plays in foreign language learning (FLL). In the past half century, the focus of memorization research in FLL has been shifted from Memorization, Vocabulary Memorization to Text Memorization, which are termed with consideration of the length of language material to memorize. Since memorization strategy use is greatly influenced by varieties of psychological and socio-culture variables, the memorization strategy system becomes more complicated in the process of FLL. The present narrative review attempts to provide an overview of memorization strategy research in the field of FLL by discussing the concepts, categorizations, uses, instructions and influential factors of the three types of memorization strategies. By reviewing the existing studies, this paper proposes that in future research, diversified methods be deployed with the expansion of research perspectives and the enrichment of research topics to reveal the relationship between memorization strategy and FLL more extensively.

Text memorization: An effective strategy to improve Chinese EFL learners' argumentative writing proficiency.

This study aims to explore the impact of text memorization strategies on Chinese EFL learners' English argumentative writing proficiency, the process of their text memorization, and specific strategies deployed for the enhancement of the memorization effect. Seven text memorization tests, one pre-test, and one post-test were administrated to 33 Chinese English majors to, respectively, examine students' memorization outcomes as well as their English argumentative writing proficiency before and after memorizing seven model English writings. Data were also collected through interviews with the 12 top scorers in text memorization tests. The results showed that text memorization as a foreign language learning strategy significantly impacted the improvement of EFL learners' argumentative writing proficiency. Moreover, in the text memorization process, in which varieties of strategies were employed, it was found that storage was preceded by understanding among the majority of the interviewees. Since text memorization was found to be advantageous to EFL learners' writing proficiency, a new system of text memorization strategies was developed in the current study to provide both scholars and teachers with insight into text memorization strategies associated with the writing skills of EFL learners.

Long-read sequencing identified intronic (GGCCTG)n expansion in NOP56 in one SCA36 family and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are often caused by expansions of short tandem repeats. Recent methodological advances have made repeat expansion detection with long-read sequencing (LRS) feasible. Our study investigated one family with SCA 36 and further summarized the genetic and clinical characteristics of the total of 161 patients across different ethnic groups reported worldwide. METHODS: We enrolled a pedigree of 4 patients. The proband was a 55-year-old male. And he was screened for dynamic mutations of SCA subtypes by Tri-prime PCR (TP-PCR) and capillary electrophoresis, showing NOP56 as the candidate gene. The cosegregation was conducted by screening the NOP56 gene in his daughter and further confirmed by low-coverage (∼15 ×) LRS on the Oxford Nanopore platform. RESULTS: The SCA36 pedigree included a total of 4 patients. The proband showed the initial manifestation at the age of 45 years old, which was characterized by truncal ataxia. Genetic test results showed the (GGCCTG)n expansion in NOP56 gene (3/>15 and 6/>15 times respectively). To clarify the diagnosis genetically, LRS was performed in his daughter showing a large intronic insertion (chr20: 2633004 INS 7603 bp) containing (GGCCTG)n expansion of 782 units in NOP56 as the causative mutation. CONCLUSIONS: We identified one SCA36 pedigree by combining TP-PCR with LRS. Our study suggested LRS as an effective tool for molecular diagnosis. LRS also worked as a supplementary but necessary diagnostic tool for dynamic mutation-related SCA on the basis of repeat-primed PCR as well as capillary electrophoresis.

Vacuolating Cytotoxin A Triggers Mitophagy in Helicobacter pylori-Infected Human Gastric Epithelium Cells.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori)-derived vacuolating cytotoxin A (VacA) causes damage to various organelles, including mitochondria, and induces autophagy and cell death. However, it is unknown whether VacA-induced mitochondrial damage can develop into mitophagy. In this study, we found that H. pylori, H. pylori culture filtrate (HPCF), and VacA could activate autophagy in a gastric epithelial cell line (GES-1). VacA-caused mitochondrial depolarization retards the import of PINK1 into the damaged mitochondria and evokes mitophagy. And, among mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) identified 25 mitochondrial proteins bound with VacA, Tom20, Tom40, and Tom70, TOM complexes responsible for PINK1 import, were further identified as having the ability to bind VacA in vitro using pull-down assay, co-immunoprecipitation, and protein-protein docking. Additionally, we found that the cell membrane protein STOM and the mitochondrial inner membrane protein PGAM5 also interacted with VacA. These findings suggest that VacA captured by STOM forms endosomes to enter cells and target mitochondria. Then, VacA is transported into the mitochondrial membrane space through the TOM complexes, and PGAM5 aids in inserting VacA into the inner mitochondrial membrane to destroy the membrane potential, which promotes PINK1 accumulation and Parkin recruitment to induce mitophagy. This study helps us understand VacA entering mitochondria to induce the mitophagy process.

Systemic Deficiency of PTEN Accelerates Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis.

Mutation or loss of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN or its functional status in tumor stromal cells may affect tumor occurrence, development, invasion, and metastasis, in which, however, the role of overall low PTEN expression, mutation, or deletion in the tumor-bearing host has rarely been reported. Breast cancer is a common highly invasive metastatic tumor. We therefore treated mouse breast cancer 4T1 cells with the specific PTEN inhibitor VO-OHpic to study the effects of PTEN suppression or deletion on malignant behavior in vivo and in vitro. VO-OHpic effectively inhibited PTEN gene/protein expression in 4T1 cells, accelerated cell proliferation, and enhanced cell migration and invasion. We also transplanted 4T1 cells with VO-OHpic-inhibited PTEN into mice to create orthotopic and metastatic breast cancer models. The proliferation of 4T1 cells in mouse mammary gland was increased and distant metastasis was enhanced, with metastatic foci in the lung, liver, and intestinal tract. In addition, injection of mice with VO-OHpic to inhibit PTEN in the overall microenvironment accelerated the proliferation of transplanted 4T1 cells and enhanced distant metastasis and the formation of metastatic tumors. Metastatic foci formed in the lung, liver, intestine, thymus, and brain, and PTEN levels in the organ/tissues were negatively associated with the formation of metastatic foci. Similarly, inoculation of PTEN-deficient 4T1 cells into systemic PTEN-inhibited mice further enhanced the orthotopic growth and distant metastasis of 4T1 breast cancer. VO-OHpic inhibition of PTEN in 4T1 cells was also associated with significantly increased phosphorylation of Akt and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), suggesting that inhibition of PTEN could activate the PI3K-Akt pathway, as a key signaling pathway regulating cell proliferation and death. These results confirmed that functional loss or deletion of the tumor suppressor gene PTEN significantly enhanced the proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of 4T1 cells. Systemic decrease or deletion of PTEN in the organism or organ/tissue microenvironment was conducive to the proliferation of breast cancer cells in situ and distant metastasis. These results suggest that, as well the PTEN in cancer cells the systemic microenvironment PTEN intensely mediates the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of mouse breast cancer cells via regulating the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway.

TMEM151A Variants Cause Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia: A Large-Sample Study.

BACKGROUND: Paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) is the most common type of paroxysmal dyskinesias. Only one-third of PKD patients are attributed to proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 (PRRT2) mutations. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the potential causative gene for PKD. METHODS: A cohort of 196 PRRT2-negative PKD probands were enrolled for whole-exome sequencing (WES). Gene Ranking, Identification and Prediction Tool, a method of case-control analysis, was applied to identify the candidate genes. Another 325 PRRT2-negative PKD probands were subsequently screened with Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: Transmembrane Protein 151 (TMEM151A) variants were mainly clustered in PKD patients compared with the control groups. 24 heterozygous variants were detected in 25 of 521 probands (frequency = 4.80%), including 18 missense and 6 nonsense mutations. In 29 patients with TMEM151A variants, the ratio of male to female was 2.63:1 and the mean age of onset was 12.93 ± 3.15 years. Compared with PRRT2 mutation carriers, TMEM151A-related PKD were more common in sporadic PKD patients with pure phenotype. There was no significant difference in types of attack and treatment outcome between TMEM151A-positive and PRRT2-positive groups. CONCLUSIONS: We consolidated mutations in TMEM151A causing PKD with the aid of case-control analysis of a large-scale WES data, which broadens the genotypic spectrum of PKD. TMEM151A-related PKD were more common in sporadic cases and tended to present as pure phenotype with a late onset. Extensive functional studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the pathogenesis of TMEM151A-related PKD. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte: features and prognosis of lymphocytes infiltration on colorectal cancer.

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are vital elements of the tumor microenvironment (TME), and the anti-tumor activity of TILs on colorectal cancer (CRC) has been a topic of concern. However, the characteristics and prognosis of the various types of lymphocyte infiltration in CRC have not been fully explained. Our study aimed to identify distinct features and prognosis of TILs. We integrated multiple-cohort databases to illustrate the features, proportions, and prognosis of TILs on CRC. We found that macrophages were significantly enriched in CRC. When we used the scRNA-seq database to further evaluate the proportion of TILs, we noticed markedly higher numbers of CD4 + T cell, B cell, and CD8 + T cell in four Gene Expression Omnibus Series (GSE) CRC cohorts. Interestingly, we found that the infiltrating level of TIL subgroups from highest to lowest is always dendritic cells, CD8 + T cells, CD4 + T cells, neutrophils, B cells, and macrophages; the proportion of infiltration is largely constant regardless of mutations in specific genes or somatic copy number variation (sCNV). In addition, the data corroborated that CD4+ TILs and CD8+ TILs have certain application values in the prognosis of CRCs, and age negatively related to CD8+ TILs and B plasma infiltration. Finally, patients with CRC who are older than 70 years have a better response to immune-checkpoint blockade.

Metformin and arsenic trioxide synergize to trigger Parkin/pink1-dependent mitophagic cell death in human cervical cancer HeLa cells.

Mitochondria are involved in various biological processes including intracellular homeostasis, proliferation, senescence, and death, and mitochondrial mitophagy is closely related to the development and regression of malignant tumors. Recent studies confirmed that the hypoglycemic drug metformin (Met) exerted various antitumor effects, protected neural cells, and improved immunity, while arsenic trioxide (ATO) is an effective chemotherapeutic agent for the clinical treatment of leukemia and various solid tumors. However, the possible combined antitumor effects of Met and ATO and their cellular molecular mechanisms are unclear. We investigated the role of Parkin-mediated mitochondrial mitophagy in the anti-tumor mechanism of Met and ATO by studying the effects of Met and/or ATO on the proliferation and apoptosis of cervical cancer HeLa cells. Both Met and ATO effectively inhibited the proliferative activity of HeLa cells and induced apoptosis by activating Bax and inhibiting Bcl-2. Met and ATO treatment alone or in combination stimulated mitophagosome accumulation in HeLa cells, increased the conversion of microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3)-I to LC3-II, and decreased levels of the mitophagic lysosomal substrate protein P62. The mitochondrial membrane potential of HeLa cells also decreased, accompanied by activation of the mitochondrial translocase TOM system and the Pink1/Parkin signaling pathway. These results suggested that Met and/or ATO could induce mitophagy in HeLa cells via the Pink1/Parkin signaling pathway, leading to mitophagic apoptosis and inhibition of tumor cell proliferation. The combination of Met and ATO thus has enhanced antitumor effects, suggesting that this combination has potential clinical applications for the treatment of cervical cancer and other tumors.

A High Resolution MRI Study of the Relationship Between Plaque Enhancement and Perforator Stroke after Stenting for Symptomatic Vertebrobasilar Artery Stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Perforator stroke is one of the most common complications of vertebrobasilar arterial stenting. We investigated whether perforator stroke after vertebrobasilar arterial stenting is associated with plaque enhancement in patients with severe vertebrobasilar artery stenosis. METHODS: We studied patients with symptomatic vertebrobasilar arterial stenosis who underwent stenting from January 2017 to July 2020. Patients who underwent high resolution magnetic resonance imaging were recruited among them. Demographic data, risk factors of atherosclerosis, procedure details, and characteristics of imaging were extracted from electronic health records and imaging data. Plaque features were investigated by high resolution magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: 136 patients were enrolled in this study, 39 of whom fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 18 patients (46.2%) had obvious plaque enhancement among the 39 patients, and 21 (53.8%) had plaque non-enhancement. 21 patients (53.8%) had diffuse distribution, and 22 patients (56.4%) had irregular plaques surface. Patients were divided into plaque enhanced and plaque non-enhanced groups according to the degree of plaque enhancement. Clinical characteristics and other plaque features were similar between two groups. Procedure-related perforator stroke was identified in 4 patients (10.3%). Patients with plaque enhancement were more likely to have perforator stroke after stenting compared with those with plaque non-enhancement (22.2% versus 0%, P = 0.037). CONCLUSIONS: Plaque enhancement in high resolution magnetic resonance imaging may be associated with perforator stroke after vertebrobasilar artery stenting.

Mental Health and Psychological Responses During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Epidemic: A Comparison Between Wuhan and Other Areas in China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the mental health and psychological responses in Wuhan, a severely affected area, and other areas of China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted on February 10-20, 2020. A set of online questionnaires was used to measure mental health and responses. A total of 1397 participants from Wuhan (age, 36.4 ± 10.7 years; male, 36.1%) and 2794 age- and sex-matched participants from other areas of China (age, 35.9 ± 9.9 years; male, 39.0%) were recruited. RESULTS: Compared with their counterparts, participants from Wuhan had a significantly higher prevalence of any mental health problems (46.6% versus 32.2%; adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.89, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.65-2.17), anxiety (15.2% versus 6.2%; adjusted OR = 2.65, 95% CI = 2.14-3.29), depression (18.3% versus 9.7%; adjusted OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.74-2.54), suicidal ideation (10.5% versus 7.1%; adjusted OR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.28-2.02), and insomnia (38.6% versus 27.6%; adjusted OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.48-1.96). Participants from Wuhan had a slightly higher rate of help-seeking behavior (7.1% versus 4.2%; adjusted OR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.12-2.77) but similar rate of treatment (3.5% versus 2.7%; adjusted OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.68-2.24) for mental problems than did their counterparts. In addition, compared with their counterparts, participants from Wuhan gave higher proportions of responses regarding "fearful" (52% versus 36%, p < .001), "discrimination against COVID-19 cases" (64% versus 58%, p = .006), "strictly comply with preventive behaviors" (98.7% versus 96%, p = .003), and "fewer living and medical supplies" (<2 weeks: 62% versus 57%, p = .015). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 epidemic has raised enormous challenges regarding public mental health and psychological responses, especially in the highly affected Wuhan area. The present findings provide important information for developing appropriate strategies for the prevention and management of mental health problems during COVID-19 and other epidemics.

[Transurethral 180 W front-firing GreenLight laser vaporization of the prostate for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical effect and safety of transurethral 180 W front-firing GreenLight laser vaporization of the prostate (PVP) in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS: A total of 61 BPH patients underwent 180W front-firing GreenLight laser PVP (n = 30, the PVP group) or transurethral plasmakinetic resection of the prostate (n = 31, the control group) from March to December 2019. We collected the pre-, intra- and post-operative clinical data and compared them between the two groups of patients. RESULTS: Operations were successfully completed in all the cases with no blood transfusion or serious complications. Compared with the controls, the patients of the PVP group showed remarkably less intra-operative blood loss (ï¼»62.3 ± 15.9ï¼½ vs ï¼»48.8 ± 9.6ï¼½ ml, P < 0.05), shorter operation time (ï¼»75.0 ± 9.9ï¼½ vs ï¼»57.5 ± 19.0ï¼½ min, P < 0.05), postoperative bladder lavage time (ï¼»64.4 ± 10.5ï¼½ vs ï¼»25.2 ± 11.5ï¼½ h, P < 0.05), catheter-indwelling time (ï¼»5.1 ± 0.5ï¼½ vs ï¼»2.5 ± 0.5ï¼½ d, P < 0.05) and hospitalization time (ï¼»7.3 ± 1.7ï¼½ vs ï¼»4.1 ± 0.6ï¼½ d, P < 0.05), and a lower incidence of postoperative hematuria (12.9% ï¼»4/31ï¼½ vs 0% ï¼»0/30ï¼½, P < 0.05). No statistically significant differences, however, were found between the two groups in the incidence rates of capsular perforation, transurethral resection syndrome (TURS), urinary incontinence, urethral stricture and post-extubation urinary retention. Significant improvement was observed in IPSS, QOL, Qmax and PVR in both groups post-operatively (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with transurethral plasmakinetic resection of the prostate, 180W front-firing GreenLight laser PVP, with the advantages of less bleeding, shorter catheter-indwelling time and faster recovery, is safer and more effective for the treatment of BPH, with no need for drug withdrawal for those taking anticoagulants, and especially applicable to the elderly and high-risk patients.

The mental health of frontline and non-frontline medical workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease with high transmissibility and morbidity. It has caused substantial mental distress to medical professionals. We aimed to compare the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak between frontline and non-frontline medical workers in China. METHODS: This case-control study recruited 1173 frontline and 1173 age- and sex-matched non-frontline medical workers during the COVID-19 outbreak (February 11 to 26, 2020). A set of online questionnaires were used to measure mental problems (i.e., anxiety, insomnia, and depressive symptoms), and help-seeking behavior and treatment for these mental problems. RESULTS: Frontline medical workers had higher rates of any mental problem (52.6% vs. 34.0%, adjusted OR=1.88, 95% CI=1.57-2.25), anxiety symptoms (15.7% vs. 7.4%, adjusted OR=1.95, 95% CI=1.46-2.61), depressed mood (marginally insignificant; 14.3% vs. 10.1%, adjusted OR=1.32, 95% CI=0.99-1.76) and insomnia (47.8% vs. 29.1%, adjusted OR=1.96, 95% CI=1.63-2.36) than non-frontline medical workers. No significant difference was observed in terms of suicidal ideation (12.0% vs. 9.0%, adjusted OR=1.25, 95% CI=0.92-1.71), help-seeking (4.5% vs. 4.5%, adjusted OR=1.00, 95% CI=0.53-1.87) or treatment (3.4% vs. 2.3%, adjusted OR=1.38, 95% CI=0.54-3.52) for mental problems. LIMITATIONS: The case-control nature of the data precludes causal inferences, and there is a possibility of bias related to self-reports. CONCLUSIONS: Frontline medical workers had more mental problems but comparable help-seeking behaviors and treatment for these problems than non-frontline medical workers. These findings highlight the timely mental support and intervention for medical workers, especially for those on the frontline.

Efficacy and Safety of Intravenous Thrombolysis on Acute Branch Atheromatous Disease: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

Background and Objective: Branch atheromatous disease (BAD) is distinctive from large-artery atherosclerosis and small-vessel disease, which is single subcortical infarction caused by the occlusion of perforator's orifice. This study aimed to indicate whether intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with alteplase could prevent early neurological deterioration (END) and improve functional outcome for patients with BAD within 4.5 h after symptom onset. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data collected from patients with BAD who were admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to August 2019. To investigate the efficacy and safety of IVT, subjects were classified into alteplase and control groups. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to control substantial heterogeneity of subgroup. The coprimary outcomes were END that is defined as an increase of ≥2 points in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score within 7 days after stroke, and favorable outcome at 3 months after stroke that defined by a score of 0-1 point on the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Results: A total of 135 patients were eventually enrolled in this study (n = 51 for the alteplase group and n = 84 for the control group). Additionally, 42 pairs of subjects were successfully matched by propensity score matching. Intravenous alteplase within 4.5 h after stroke onset reduced the incidence of END [unadjusted odds ratio (OR), 3.32; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06-10.37] and improved the clinical outcome at 3 months after stroke, with more patients achieving favorable functional prognosis (mRS, 0-1 point; unadjusted OR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.10-0.62). Patients in the alteplase group were more likely to be independent (mRS, 0-2 points) at 3 months after stroke (unadjusted OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12-0.90). The rate of death or dependence (mRS, ≥4 points) in the alteplase group was also markedly lower than that in the control group (unadjusted OR, 4.06; 95% CI, 1.03-16.02). Conclusion: Our findings indicated that intravenous thrombolysis may be a safe and effective therapy for patients with BAD.

LncRNA HOXD-AS1 promotes the metastasis of human hepatocellular carcinoma via modulating miR-326/SLC27A4.

BACKGROUND: Mounting evidences have indicated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) HOXD cluster antisense RNA 1 (HOXD-AS1) is dysregulated and participates into the progression of cancers. This study aims to investigate the biological roles and mechanisms of HOXD-AS1 in the metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: The quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay was used to assess the level of miR-326 and HOXD-AS1 in HCC tissues and cell lines. The growth of HCC cell was analyzed by using CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay. The migration and invasion of HCC cell were investigated by using wound healing and transwell invasion analysis. The expressions of SLC27A4, N-cadherin and E-cadherin were determined by western blotting. The growth of HCC cell in vivo was assessed by using xenograft model. RESULTS: Here, we elaborated that HOXD-AS1 was overexpressed in HCC tissues than that in the adjacent normal tissues and the level of HOXD-AS1 was related with the aggressive phenotypes of HCC. Functionally, downregulation of HOXD-AS1 repressed the proliferation, invasion abilities of HCC cell in vitro and the distant metastasis of HCC cell in vivo. Further investigations demonstrated that HOXD-AS1 directly bound with miR-326 and thereby regulated its endogenous target gene, solute carrier family 27 member 4 (SLC27A4). CONCLUSIONS: All these findings indicated that HOXD-AS1-miR-326-SLC27A4 axis participated into the progression of HCC.

The Protective Effect of Adiponectin-Transfected Endothelial Progenitor Cells on Cognitive Function in D-Galactose-Induced Aging Rats.

Aging is a multifactorial process involving the cumulative effects of inflammation, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dynamics, which can produce complex structural and biochemical alterations to the nervous system and lead to dysfunction of microcirculation, blood-brain barrier (BBB), and other problems in the brain. Long-term injection of D-galactose (D-gal) can induce chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, accelerating aging. The model of accelerated aging with long-term administration of D-gal have been widely used in anti-aging studies, due to the increase of chronic inflammation and decline of cognition that similarity with natural aging in animals. However, despite extensive researches in the D-gal-induced aging rats, studies on their microvasculature remain limited. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), which are precursors to endothelial cells (ECs), play a significant role in the repair and regeneration process of endogenous blood vessel, and adiponectin (APN), a protein derived from adipocyte, has many effects on protective vascular endothelium and anti-inflammatory. Recently, many studies have shown that APN can promote improvements in cognitive function. Under these circumstances, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of the APN-transfected EPC (APN-EPC) treatment on rats after administration with D-gal and explored the likely underlying mechanisms. Compared to model group for D-gal administration, better cognitive function and denser microvessels were significantly found in the APN-EPC treatment group, and indicated APN-EPC treatment in aging rats could improve the cognitive dysfunction and microvessel density. The level of proinflammatory cytokines IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α, activated astrocytes and apoptosis rate were significantly reduced in the APN-EPC group compared with the model group, showed that APN-EPCs alleviated the neuroinflammation in aging rats. In addition, the APN-EPC group inhibited the decrease of BBB-related proteins claudin-5, occludin, and Zo-1 in aging rats and attenuated BBB dysfunction significantly. These results of our study indicated that APN-EPC treatment in D-gal-induced aging rats have a positive effect on improving cognitive and BBB dysfunction, increasing angiogenesis, and reducing neuroinflammation and apoptosis rate. This research suggests that cell therapy via gene modification may provide a safe and effective approach for the treatment of age-related neurogenerative diseases.

Prostate-Specific Antigen Test Utilization in a Major Canadian City.

OBJECTIVES: To review the utilization of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in Winnipeg, a major Canadian city, and to compare PSA testing rates between Winnipeg and Calgary, another major Canadian city of comparable size. METHODS: PSA testing results were reviewed by year and age group. We focused our studies in years 2011 and 2016, for which census demographic data are available. RESULTS: In Winnipeg, the PSA testing rates (patients with one or two PSA tests divided by the male population) showed a declining trend over years from 2008 to 2017. For almost all age groups, PSA testing rates in 2016 decreased in comparison to those in 2011. For age older than 40 years, the relative percentage decreases were 14% to 20%.In 2011, Winnipeg PSA testing rates were consistently higher than those in Calgary for all age groups. For age older than 40 years, the relative percentage differences were 36% to 50%.In addition, 41% and 40% of patients in Winnipeg who underwent PSA testing were younger than 50 years or older than 69 years in 2011 and 2016, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PSA testing utilization may be falling short of optimal rates. There is a need to reinforce the optimal use of clinical recommendations.