Trait emotional intelligence and its impact on quality of life, anxiety, and depression in patients with gastric cancer.

Aims/Background Trait emotional intelligence is associated with anxiety and depression symptoms and quality of life in cancer patients. However, studies on the relationship of trait emotional intelligence with anxiety, depression, and quality of life in gastric cancer patients are limited. This study investigates the relationship of trait emotional intelligence with depression and quality of life in gastric cancer patients to provide a theoretical basis for clinical management. Methods A total of 270 patients with gastric cancer treated in our hospital from July 2020 to July 2023 were selected, of which 31 patients with missing questionnaire entries and missed visits were screened out, resulting in the enrolment of 239 gastric cancer patients in this study. In this survey, self-administered general information questionnaires, namely Trait Emotional Intelligence Short Form (TEIQue-SF), European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) were used. Results TEIQue-SF total scores were positively correlated with QLQ-C30 scores (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with HADS-A and HADS-D scores (p < 0.001). TEIQue-SF total score was a superior positive predictor of the QLQ-C30 score (ß = 0.412, p < 0.001) and a superior negative predictor of the HADS score (ß = -0.740, p < 0.001). TEIQue-SF total score (ß = 0.141, p = 0.006) and HADS score (ß = -0.665, p < 0.001) were good predictors of QLQ-C30 score. The direct effect of TEIQue-SF total score on QLQ-C30 score was 0.141, while HADS score between TEIQue-SF total score and QLQ-C30 score had a mediated effect value of 0.492. Conclusion Trait emotional intelligence not only directly affects the quality of life, but also indirectly affects the quality of life through anxiety and depression. Clinicians should pay attention to the anxiety, depression, and emotional intelligence of patients with gastric cancer to help them improve their quality of life.

Optimization of Triterpene Yield from Ganoderma atrum HBSD Z19 (Agaricomycetes) by Optimization of Medium Components and Evaluation of Bioactivity Under Simulated Gastrointestinal Digestion In Vitro.

The intracellular triterpene yield from Ganoderma atrum was enhanced by optimization based on single-factor experiments, Plackett-Burman experimental design (PBED) and response surface methodology (RSM) under liquid fermentation conditions. The optimal medium composition (g·L-1) was glucose (46.0), bean cake powder (30.2), KH2PO4 (2.0), CaCl2 (3.0), MgSO4 (1.5), FeSO4 (0.2), and pH 6.0. Under the optimal conditions, the highest triterpene yield of 0.527 g·L-1 was obtained, which was 4.705-fold higher than before optimization. The fermented powder that was collected from the optimal medium was subjected to simulated gastrointestinal digestion, with differences resulting from extraction in different digestive juices (purified water, simulated gastric digestive juice, simulated gastrointestinal digestive juice). The content of triterpenes and polysaccharides increased, except for total phenol content. In terms of the antioxidant activity, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-(2,4,6-trinitrophenyl) hydrazyl (DPPH+⋅) scavenging activity gradually decreased whereas the 2, 2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS+⋅) scavenging activity first decreased and then increased. In terms of enzyme viability, the activity of α-amylase (α-AL) and α-glucosidase (α-GC) in the digestive juices decreased dramatically. The main bioactive components of G. atrum and their bioactivity in digestive juices were evaluated, providing a reference for the effective use of fermented power from G. atrum.

Optimisation of the production of a selenium-enriched polysaccharide from Cordyceps cicadae S1 and its structure and antioxidant activity.

The fermentation medium of a newly identified Cordyceps cicadae S1 was optimized by response surface methodology, with the optimal medium containing sucrose (80 g/L), yeast powder (60 g/L), KH2PO4 (5 g/L), MgSO4·7H2O (1 g/L) and Na2SeO3 (0. 1 g/L). Under these conditions, the extracellular polysaccharide yield was 8.09 g/L. A novel selenium-enriched polysaccharide (PACI-1) was isolated from Cordyceps cicadae, purified and identified as a homofructose polysaccharide with a low average molecular weight of 9.95 × 103 Da. The fine structure of PACI-1 was analyzed using NMR, CD, and AFM. Additionally, the in vitro antioxidant results showed that the PACI-1 had stronger antioxidant capacity than natural polysaccharides. These results provided a candidate strain for producing selenium polysaccharide and a new polysaccharide from C. cicadae, which showed good antioxidant activity.

Comparative component analysis of exons with different splicing frequencies.

Transcriptional isoforms are not just random combinations of exons. What has caused exons to be differentially spliced and whether exons with different splicing frequencies are subjected to divergent regulation by potential elements or splicing signals? Beyond the conventional classification for alternatively spliced exons (ASEs) and constitutively spliced exons (CSEs), we have classified exons from alternatively spliced human genes and their mouse orthologs (12,314 and 5,464, respectively) into four types based on their splicing frequencies. Analysis has indicated that different groups of exons presented divergent compositional and regulatory properties. Interestingly, with the decrease of splicing frequency, exons tend to have greater lengths, higher GC content, and contain more splicing elements and repetitive elements, which seem to imply that the splicing frequency is influenced by such factors. Comparison of non-alternatively spliced (NAS) mouse genes with alternatively spliced human orthologs also suggested that exons with lower splicing frequencies may be newly evolved ones which gained functions with splicing frequencies altered through the evolution. Our findings have revealed for the first time that certain factors may have critical influence on the splicing frequency, suggesting that exons with lower splicing frequencies may originate from old repetitive sequences, with splicing sites altered by mutation, gaining novel functions and become more frequently spliced.