Recent development on nanomaterial-based biosensors for identifying thyroid tumor biomarkers.

The incidence of thyroid tumors has been increasing yearly over the past decade, making it the fourth highest tumor in women. This places various biological burdens on those affected. Currently, thyroid tumors are primarily diagnosed using percutaneous fine needle aspiration and ultrasound. However, these methods are complex, expensive, and less accurate, and they may fail to detect some thyroid nodules. As an alternative, researchers are focusing on blood-based biomarkers in addition to the traditional diagnostic methods, assisted predominantly by nanomaterials. Early identification of thyroid cancer is crucial as it is highly treatable. Various sensing systems have been developed using nanomaterial-mediated approaches to enhance the detection system. Nanomaterials are effectively applied in biosensors for surface functionalization and are conjugated with biomolecules to improve the interaction with the target analyte. This review discusses nanomaterial-assisted thyroid tumor detection, with a special focus on nanomaterial-based biosensors.

Interaction between antiretroviral therapy regimens and body mass index on triglyceride levels in people living with HIV: a cross-sectional and longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate how antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens and body mass index (BMI) interact to affect triglyceride (TG) levels in people living with HIV (PLWH). METHODS: This research involved 451 men living with HIV for cross-sectional analysis, and 132 underwent follow-up assessments in 2021 and 2023. Multivariate logistic regression identified key factors, while covariance regression models assessed interactions between ART regimens and BMI on TG levels. RESULTS: The result of this cross-sectional study indicated that advanced AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) stage (OR = 2.756, P = 0.003), higher BMI (OR = 1.131, P = 0.003), and waist-hip ratio (WHR, OR = 44.684, P = 0.019) are closely associated with high triglyceride levels. Additionally, regimens containing zidovudine (AZT) (OR = 3.927, P < 0.001) or protease inhibitors/integrase strand transfer inhibitors (PI/INSTI) (OR = 5.167, P < 0.001) were significantly linked to hypertriglyceridemia. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses from 2021 to 2023 emphasized that changes in BMI interact with antiretroviral treatment regimens to affect TG levels in PLWH (Pinteraction < 0.05). Especially in the AZT-based drug regimen, the correlation between BMI and TG is more prominent. CONCLUSION: The interaction between ART regimens and BMI influences TG levels in PLWH, indicating that weight management is crucial for reducing the risk of hypertriglyceridemia in this population.

Correlation analysis of mental toughness, family social support, and anxiety of nursing staff.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the impact of family social support affects anxiety levels and mental toughness among nursing staff, and to identify the pathways of how mental toughness develops. METHODS: We selected 256 nursing staff from the Third People's Hospital of Chengdu using a convenience sampling method. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing family social support, anxiety level and mental toughness of the nursing staff. The questionnaires included the general information questionnaire, Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS), Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), and the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC). Then, we analyzed the correlation between nursing staff' family social support, anxiety symptoms and mental toughness by using Pearson correlation. Finally, we analyzed the effect of family social support on mental toughness and anxiety levels by using linear regression, and analyzed the path of family social support and psychological toughness on anxiety symptoms by using structural equation modeling. RESULTS: We finally collected 246 valid questionnaires with a valid recovery rate of 96.09%. 116 (47.15%) nursing staff reported a moderate level of family social support, with a mean PSSS score of (58.98 ± 7.64). Anxiety risk was identified in 43.39% of participants, with a mean SAS score of 50.47 ± 10.96. In terms of mental toughness, 104 (42.28%) nursing staff exhibited a low level of mental toughness, and 116 (47.15%) demonstrated moderate level of mental toughness with CD-RISC score of (58.23 ± 10.12). Correlation analyses revealed a strong negative correlation between the family social support, mental toughness and their anxiety (r = -0.586, -0.516, respectively), and a strong positive correlation between family social support and mental toughness (r = 0.571). Regression analysis showed that family social support was a significant negative predictor for anxiety (ß = -0.841, t = -9.488), but a significant positive predictor for mental toughness (ß = 0.756, t = 11.669). Mediation analysis indicated that mental toughness mediated 26.28% of the relationship between family social support and anxiety levels. CONCLUSION: Family social support can significantly reduce anxiety levels in nursing staff directly, as well as indirectly by increasing mental toughness.

Risk factors of postoperative airway obstruction complications in children with oral floor mass.

The aim of the present study was to explore the risk factors of postoperative airway complications in children with oral floor mass. The first choice of auxiliary examination method for children with oral floor mass is also proposed. This retrospective study included 50 children with floor-of-mouth (FOM) masses. Medical records were reviewed, and information on age of onset, functional impacts present, age at consultation, imaging findings, history of preoperative aspiration, pathology findings, properties of biopsied fluid, treatment modality, postoperative outcomes, and operation were recorded. A total of 20 patients exhibited functional impacts such as difficulty in breathing and feeding. Ultrasound examination was performed in 28 cases; and magnetic resonance imaging, in 38 cases. The diagnosis was lymphatic malformation in 12 cases, developmental cyst in 29 cases, and solid mass in 7 cases. There were 28 cases of surgical resection, 9 cases underwent multiple puncture volume reduction followed by surgery, 11 cases treated using sclerotherapy injection, and 1 case treated using sclerotherapy injection and surgical resection. Young age, functional impact, and high grade of lymphatic duct malformation increased the risk of surgical treatment. B-scan ultrasound is the first choice for the diagnosis of FOM masses in children.

Dihydroartemisinin inhibits HNSCC invasion and migration by controlling miR-195-5p expression.

Objectives: Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), an artemisinin derivative extracted from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Artemisia annua, has the potential to suppress head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) progression. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects remain unclear. Therefore, we aimed to examine the mechanisms underlying the effects of DHA on tumor invasion and migration. Methods: Human HNSCC cell lines CAL-27 and FaDu were exposed to varying DHA concentrations (0, 5, 20, and 80 µM) for 24 h. Cell proliferation, invasion, and migration were assessed using CCK8, transwell, and wound-healing assays, respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence were used to assess the expression levels of the target genes and proteins. Results: DHA suppressed the invasion and migration of CAL-27 and FaDu cells. Additionally, miR-195-5p suppressed the invasion and migration of HNSCC cells. This study revealed significant differences in the expression of miR-195-5p and TENM2 between clinical samples and multiple public databases. DHA treatment and miR-195-5p overexpression significantly reduced TENM2 expression in HNSCC cells, which suggested that miR-195-5p overexpression enhanced the inhibitory effect of DHA on TENM2. Conclusions: This study provides the first evidence that DHA inhibits cell invasion and migration by regulating the miR-195-5p/TENM2 axis in HNSCC cells, suggesting it as a potentially effective treatment strategy for HNSCC.

Clinical characteristics and survival of esophageal cancer patients: annual report of the surgical treatment in Shanghai Chest Hospital, 2017.

Background: Esophageal cancer remains a significant burden of lethal cancers worldwide, particularly in China. This is an annual report of Shanghai Chest Hospital (SCH) on surgical treatment for esophageal cancer patients in 2017. Methods: All patients who received surgical treatment for esophageal cancer at SCH in 2017 were given a detailed summary of clinical information based on the database of SCH. Kaplan-Meier method was used to present their survival, subgroup analyses, and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to estimate the potential risk factors for prognosis. Results: In 2017, a total of 663 patients received surgical treatment (628 esophagectomies and 35 endoscopic resections) for esophageal cancer at SCH. Of the patients who underwent esophagectomy, 292 patients received perioperative treatment, majority of which was postoperative treatment (47.9%). Only 69 (10.4%) patients received preoperative treatment. Minimally invasive techniques were used in 444 (70.7%) patients and robotic-assisted esophagectomies were used in 130 (20.7%) patients. Complete resection (R0) was achieved in 90.3% of esophagectomy patients. The 5-year overall survival (OS) rate after esophagectomy was 52.5%. Conclusions: The 5-year OS of patients with esophageal cancer can reach 52.5% after surgical treatment in 2017 at SCH. The exact beneficiaries of neoadjuvant therapy are still unclear in the 2017 cohort.

Analysis of the characteristics and therapeutic effect of consonant errors in children with functional articulation disorders at different ages / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#Analyzing the characteristics of consonant errors in children with functional dysarthria in different age groups and the effect of speech training provides a reference for clinical treatment. @*Methods @#This study followed medical ethics, and informed consent has been obtained from patients. Speech data from 388 patients with functional dysarthria were retrospectively studied. They were divided into two groups at the age of 6, namely, the preschool group (4-6 years old) of 226 patients and the school age group (6-13 years old, including 6 years old) of 162 patients. The characteristics of consonant pronunciation errors from four aspects were analyzed: average number of errors, pronunciation location, pronunciation method, and error type. One-on-one speech training was conducted, with a training frequency of once a week and once for 30 minutes. The training method was carried out in the order of phoneme training, syllable training, vocabulary training, sentence training, and short text and conversation training. The effects of speech training in the two groups were compared. @*Results@#Analysis by pronunciation location: both age groups had the highest frequency of errors in tongue tip posterior sounds; the school age group had the lowest error frequency for labiodental consonants, and the preschool group had the lowest error frequency for bilabial consonants. According to the analysis of pronunciation mode, both age groups had the highest error frequency of aspirated affricate and the lowest error frequency of nasal sound. Analysis by error type: both age groups are mainly characterized by substitution and omission. Compared with the preschool group, most consonants of patients in the school group tend to improve in terms of pronunciation location, pronunciation mode, and error types. Compared with the preschool group, the two types of errors-palatalization and lateralization-increased in frequency in the school group, but the trend of increased lateralization was not statistically significant. After 6.7 and 5.5 sessions of speech training, the pronunciation of the preschool group and the school-age group significantly improved; the cure rate of the school-age group was 84.9% (118/139), and that of the preschool group was 77.1% (91/118). There was no statistically significant difference in the cure rate between the two groups.@*Conclusion@# Functional dysarthria may improve with age, but it may not completely self-heal. Children of different age groups can achieve good treatment results through scientific and reasonable speech training.

Serum trace element of chidren with and without bronchopneumonia / Niveles de oligoelementos en el suero de niños con bronconeumonía y sin ella

Objectives: trace elements like Zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) have a significant influence in maintaining the normal metabolic, modulating immune function and influencing the susceptibility of the organism to infection. But the relationship between trace element and bronchopneumonia was unclear. Methods: In this study, 28 children with bronchopneumonia and 46 healthy age-matched children were recruited. Serum (Zn), Cu, Fe, calcium (Ca) and/or magnesium (Mg) levels in children with and without bronchopneumonia were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Results: The results show that several microelement levels such as Zn, Ca, Mg, and Fe in bronchopneumonia group are lower than in control group. In bronchopneumonia group, serum Ca level is positively associated with zinc (Zn) (p < 0.05) and iron (Fe) (p < 0.05), while there is a pronounced positive correlation between copper (Cu) and calcium (Ca) (p < 0.05), magnesium (Mg) (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Serum trace element level may be associated with risk of bronchopneumonia among children (AU)

Objetivos: oligoelementos como zinc (Zn), hierro (Fe) y cobre (Cu) tienen una influencia significativa en el mantenimiento de la función inmune y del metabolismo normales; modulan la función immune e influyen en la susceptibilidad del organismo ante infecciones. Pero la relación entre trazas de estos elementos y la bronconeumonía resultó incierta. Métodos: en este estudio fueron incluidos 28 niños con bronconeumonía y 46 niños sanos agrupados por edad. Se determinaron los niveles de Zn, Cu, Fe, calcio (Ca) y/o magnesio (Mg) en el suero de los niños con bronconeumonía y sin ella mediante espectrofotometría de absorción atómica. Resultados: los resultados muestran que varios niveles de microelementos como Zn, Ca, Mg y Fe en el grupo con bronconeumonía son menores que en el grupo control. En el grupo de niños con bronconeumonía el nivel de Ca en el suero está asociado positivamente con el zinc (Zn) (p < 0,05), mientras que hay una correlación positiva entre el cobre (Cu) y el calcio (Ca) (p < 0,05), magnesio (mg) (p < 0,05). Conclusión: el nivel de oligoelemento en el suero puede estar asociado con el riesgo de bronconeumonía entre los niños (AU)