Factors associated with the depression status of Chinese parents who have lost their only child.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the risk factors for depression among parents who have lost their only child (PLOCs). Methods: We used a cross-sectional survey to reveal the risk factors of depression among PLOCs. Multi-stage, stratified, cluster sampling was used to recruit the participants. The cluster sampling method was used to select PLOCs in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, and Wuhu, Anhui Province, while the stratified cluster sampling method was used in Anshun, Guizhou Province. A total of 651 PLOCs were recruited in this study. Participants completed the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) and the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15). Socio-demographics were also collected, including age, sex, monthly income, education level, marital status, self-reported health, and a number of diseases were collected as well. Chi-square tests and binary logistic regression were conducted to analyze the influence of these factors on PLOCs' mental status. Results: Two hundred and fifty-eight PLOCs (39.56%) reported depression. Compared to PLOCs living in Wuhu, those living in Hangzhou (OR = 3.374, CI = 2.337-4.870) had a higher risk of depression. Being single (OR = 1.449, CI = 1.019-2.061) and the presence/absence of grandchildren (OR = 0.430, CI = 0.274-0.676)were significantly associated with the depression status of PLOCs. Conclusion: The sampled Chinese PLOCs reported a high prevalence of depression that was influenced by their place of residence, marital status, and presence/absence of grandchildren. This may highlight the need for routine assessment and help of this group by the relevant stakeholders (including government, non-profit social organizations, and professional psychologists) with more attention paid to single and low-income PLOCs that have no grandchildren. It is imperative to build a comprehensive care system of "extended family-community-society-government" for this vulnerable group.

Artificial intelligence: Emerging player in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disease.

Given the breakthroughs in key technologies, such as image recognition, deep learning and neural networks, artificial intelligence (AI) continues to be increasingly developed, leading to closer and deeper integration with an increasingly data-, knowledge- and brain labor-intensive medical industry. As society continues to advance and individuals become more aware of their health needs, the problems associated with the aging of the population are receiving increasing attention, and there is an urgent demand for improving medical technology, prolonging human life and enhancing health. Digestive system diseases are the most common clinical diseases and are characterized by complex clinical manifestations and a general lack of obvious symptoms in the early stage. Such diseases are very difficult to diagnose and treat. In recent years, the incidence of diseases of the digestive system has increased. As AI applications in the field of health care continue to be developed, AI has begun playing an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the digestive system. In this paper, the application of AI in assisted diagnosis and the application and prospects of AI in malignant and benign digestive system diseases are reviewed.

Factors Associated With Health-Related Quality of Life of Parents Who Lost Their Only Child: A Cross-Sectional Study in Central China.

Purpose: The number of families who lost their only child was over one million in 2012 in China, and it is growing rapidly every year. Without their only child, they will inevitably worry about their health and life for their later years. It is important to explore the quality of life and influencing factors of the parents. Methods: The cluster sampling method was adopted to select the participants in Wuhu city, Anhui province, central China. The generalized linear regression models were performed to analyze factors influencing EQ-VAS scores. Results: The parents with different monthly income (P = 0.001) and self-rated health status (P < 0.001) had different EQ-VAS scores. Educational level, self-rated health status, number of chronic diseases, depression and having grandchildren were significantly associated with their EQ-VAS score. Conclusion: The government should encourage public medical institutions to provide convenient health management and medical services to this vulnerable group. Priority treatment should be given to the parents who already have multiple diseases. The parents who were depressed should be given timely intervention. The government should give more financial subsidies to the parents who need to raise their grandchildren.

Qingyi decoction protects against myocardial injuries induced by severe acute pancreatitis.

BACKGROUND: We studied the protective effects of Qingyi decoction (QYD) (a Traditional Chinese Medicine) against severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)-induced myocardial infarction (MI). AIM: To study the function and mechanism of QYD in the treatment of myocardial injuries induced by SAP. METHODS: Ultrasonic cardiography, hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry, qRT-PCR, western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and apoptosis staining techniques were used to determine the effects of QYD following SAP-induced MI in Sprague-Dawley rats. RESULTS: Our SAP model showed severe myocardial histological abnormalities and marked differences in the symptoms, mortality rate, and ultrasonic cardiography outputs among the different groups compared to the control. The expression of serum cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, amyloid ß, and tumor necrosis factor-α] were significantly higher in the SAP versus QYD treated group (P < 0.05 for all). STIM1 and Orai1 expression in myocardial tissue extracts were significantly decreased post QYD gavage (P < 0.001). There was no significant histological difference between the 2-aminoethyl diphenylborinate inhibitor and QYD groups. The SAP group had a significantly higher apoptosis index score compared to the QYD group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: QYD conferred cardio-protection against SAP-induced MI by regulating myocardial-associated protein expression (STIM1 and Orai1).

Factors associated with preferences for elderly care mode and choice of caregivers among parents who lost their only child in a central China city.

AIM: It is forecasted that the figure of families in China who lost their only child will reach 10 million by 2035. Traditional Chinese culture places these families in a particularly disadvantaged position for elderly care. It is quite important to understand the elderly care needs of the parents. METHODS: The cluster sampling method was used to select the parents who lost their only child in Wuhu city, China. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis models were carried out to analyze factors influencing the parents' preferences for elderly care mode and choice of caregivers. RESULTS: The Geriatric Depression Scale score (P < 0.001) was significantly associated with the parents' preferences for elderly care mode. Parents with different sex, marital status and grandchildren status had different preferences for their choice of caregivers. The number of chronic diseases and Geriatric Depression Scale scores were significantly associated with preferences for choice of caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: These parents should have a preferential policy of check in to a nursing home and simplify the check-in procedure. The parents should receive prompt for depression and stay in the community for elderly care. The government should guarantee that spouseless parents have priority in enjoying nurse/nursing home worker services. The government should support the development of volunteer services. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 112-117.

Multifunctional neuron-specific enolase: its role in lung diseases.

Neuron-specific enolase (NSE), also known as gamma (γ) enolase or enolase-2 (Eno2), is a form of glycolytic enolase isozyme and is considered a multifunctional protein. NSE is mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of neurons and neuroendocrine cells, especially in those of the amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation (APUD) lineage such as pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, intestine and lung. In addition to its well-established glycolysis function in the cytoplasm, changes in cell localization and differential expression of NSE are also associated with several pathologies such as infection, inflammation, autoimmune diseases and cancer. This article mainly discusses the role and diagnostic potential of NSE in some lung diseases.

Therapeutic effect of Qingyi decoction in severe acute pancreatitis-induced intestinal barrier injury.

AIM: To investigate the effect of Qingyi decoction on the expression of secreted phospholipase A2 (sPLA2) in intestinal barrier injury. METHODS: Fifty healthy Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into control, severe acute pancreatitis (SAP), Qingyi decoction-treated (QYT), dexamethasone-treated (DEX), and verapamil-treated (VER) groups. The SAP model was induced by retrograde infusion of 1.5% sodium deoxycholate into the biliopancreatic duct of the rats. All rats were sacrificed 24 h post-SAP induction. Arterial blood, intestine, and pancreas from each rat were harvested for investigations. The levels of serum amylase (AMY) and diamine oxidase (DAO) were determined using biochemical methods, and serum tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α level was measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Pathologic changes in the harvested tissues were investigated by microscopic examination of hematoxylin and eosin-stained tissue sections. The expressions of sPLA2 at mRNA and protein levels were detected by reverse transcriptase PCR and Western blot, respectively. A terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay was used to investigate apoptosis of epithelial cells in the intestinal tissues. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, the expression of sPLA2 at both the mRNA and protein levels increased significantly in the SAP group (0.36 ± 0.13 vs 0.90 ± 0.38, and 0.16 ± 0.05 vs 0.64 ± 0.05, respectively; Ps < 0.01). The levels of AMY, TNF-α and DAO in serum were also significantly increased (917 ± 62 U/L vs 6870 ± 810 U/L, 59.7 ± 14.3 ng/L vs 180.5 ± 20.1 ng/L, and 10.37 ± 2.44 U/L vs 37.89 ± 5.86 U/L, respectively; Ps < 0.01). The apoptosis index of intestinal epithelial cells also differed significantly between the SAP and control rats (0.05 ± 0.02 vs 0.26 ± 0.06; P < 0.01). The serum levels of DAO and TNF-α, and the intestinal apoptosis index significantly correlated with sPLA2 expression in the intestine (r = 0.895, 0.893 and 0.926, respectively; Ps < 0.05). The levels of sPLA2, AMY, TNF-α, and DAO in the QYT, VER, and DEX groups were all decreased compared with the SAP group, but not the control group. Qingyi decoction intervention, however, gave the most therapeutic effect against intestinal barrier damage, although the onset of its therapeutic effect was slower. CONCLUSION: Qingyi decoction ameliorates acute pancreatitis-induced intestinal barrier injury by inhibiting the overexpression of intestinal sPLA2. This mechanism may be similar to that of verapamil.