Curcumin attenuated neuroinflammation via the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling way in the juvenile rat hippocampus following kainic acid-induced epileptic seizures.

The study examined curcumin's impart on relieving neuroinflammation of juvenile rats in kainic acid (KA) induced epileptic seizures by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway. There were five groups: control, KA, KA + curcumin (KC), KA + oxcarbazepine (OXC) (KO), KA + curcumin + OXC (KCO) groups. KA was stereotactically injected into right hippocampus following intraperitoneal injection of curcumin or (and) OXC for seven days. The rats in the above groups were randomly divided into three subgroups (at 6 h, 24 h, and 72 h of KA administration) following the seizure degree assessed. The number of NeuN (+) neurons and GFAP (+) astrocytes was counted. The gene and protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB were detected. Compared with the KA group, the seizure latency was longer, and the incidence of status epilepticus (SE) was lower in the KC, KO, and KCO groups. The most significant changes were in the KCO group. At 72 h following KA injected, the number of neurons was the least, and the number of astrocytes was the most in the KA group. The number of neurons was the most and the number of astrocytes was the least in the KCO group. At 24 h, the mRNA and protein levels of TLR4, MyD88, and NF-κB in the KA group were the most. The above valves were the least in the KCO group. Therefore, curcumin could enhance anti-epileptic effect of OXC, protect injured neurons and reduce proliferated glial cells of the hippocampus of epileptic rats by inhibiting inflammation via the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB pathway.

Clinical nurses' legal roles, challenges, and responses to enabling legislation in China: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: With the surge in China's registered nurse population, defining their rights and responsibilities is crucial for ensuring the quality of medical services. However, challenges such as unresolved medical disputes and unclear duties persist due to the inadequacy and lack of transparency in current nursing laws and policies. This study evaluated nurses' legal awareness, legislative needs, and views on laws and policies affecting their practice, providing insights for future improvements in nursing legislation. METHODS: This study employed a descriptive qualitative approach, utilizing purposive sampling to select 16 nurses for in-depth exploration of their experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between December 2023 and March 2024. Data analysis was performed using directed content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 16 nurses with various positions and titles were interviewed. The analysis revealed three main themes and nine sub-themes, focusing on existing issues in the nursing environment, legal training needs, and attitudes towards legislative empowerment. CONCLUSIONS: In China, there is a gap in legal knowledge and training among nurses. Enhancing their legal literacy is crucial for elevating their professional status and the quality of their work. Our findings underscore strong support for the enactment of the Nurse Act with a focus on practice conditions, rights protection, and career development. National authorities and experts must expedite this legislation to safeguard the rights of nurses, bolster their professional confidence.

How positive mental well-being influences professional identity and the mediating mechanisms in Chinese nursing students.

AIM: To examine the association between positive mental well-being and professional identity in nursing students. The mediating effects of resilience and nurse-patient relationship were explored. BACKGROUND: Professional identity of nursing students can influence their pursuit of a nursing career. Negative mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression, and high stress, are known risk factors for professional identity. Few studies have examined the association of professional identity with positive mental well-being and underlying mechanisms. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of Chinese nursing students on clinical placement. The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale, Professional Identity Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, Nurse-Patient Relationship Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire were used, and demographic and study-related characteristics were measured. Multivariable linear regression and mediation analyses analyzed the associations. We followed the STROBE reporting guidelines. RESULTS: Of 208 participants, the total scores of positive mental well-being and professional identity were at a moderate level. Positive mental well-being was associated with professional identity after adjusting for confounders including the main reason for choosing nursing and negative mental health. Resilience was a full mediator of the association between positive mental well-being and professional identity, whereas nurse-patient relationship was a partial mediator. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Positive mental well-being was associated with professional identity in Chinese nursing students on clinical placement, mediated through resilience and nurse-patient relationship. Positive mental well-being can be a facilitator for the professional identity of nursing students, and resilience and nurse-patient relationship could be potential mechanisms for nurse professional development. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND/OR HEALTH POLICY: Nurse researchers, educators, and policymakers are informed to increase the awareness of positive mental well-being and develop interventions targeting resilience and nurse-patient relationship for building a stable and satisfied nursing team.

Trajectory patterns and influencing factors of supportive care needs in Chinese elderly breast cancer patients.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to identify the trajectory patterns of supportive care needs in Chinese older patients with breast cancer and their predictive factors. METHODS: A total of 122 older patients with breast cancer were recruited. Demographic and disease-related information, type D personality, and supportive care needs were investigated at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Latent class growth model was used to identify the trajectory patterns of supportive care needs. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the predictors for membership. RESULTS: Three trajectories with different characteristics of changing categories of supportive care needs were identified in the final analysis, named as "High needs decline group" (38.5%), "High needs sustained group" (51.6%), and "Low needs sustained group" (9.8%). Univariate analysis showed that age, education level, number of children, primary caregiver, pathological stage, surgical modality, treatment protocols, and personality traits were associated with the trajectory categories of supportive care needs of older patients with breast cancer. Multiple logistic regression showed that primary caregiver type, treatment protocols, and personality traits were influential factors in the trajectory of supportive care needs of older patients with breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates the heterogeneity of changes in supportive care needs. The supportive care needs of older patients with breast cancer show a trajectory of change in different categories, and healthcare providers can develop individualized interventions based on the characteristics of different patients.

Association between type D personality and supportive care needs in elderly patients with breast cancer: a prospective longitudinal observational study.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients with breast cancer often have more unmet needs after receiving common treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy. Type D personality has been related to supportive care needs in the general population. However, its association with supportive care needs in elderly breast cancer patients has not been prospectively explored. This study aimed to address this gap. OBJECTIVES: The aim was to understand the impact of Type D personality on the supportive care needs of elderly breast cancer patients at diagnosis, 2 weeks postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and 6 months postoperatively and to analyse the impact of Type D personality on the changing trajectory of supportive care needs after controlling for confounding factors such as demographics, symptom distress and social support. METHODS: A total of 122 elderly patients (≥ 65 years) with breast cancer in Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai, China, were included from September 2021 until August 2022. Supportive care needs were measured by the Supportive Care Needs Survey Short Form and tracked at diagnosis, 2 weeks postoperatively, 3 months postoperatively, and 6 months postoperatively. To investigate changes in the supportive care needs of elderly breast cancer patients and the effect of Type D personality on these needs, a linear mixed model was applied. RESULTS: A total of 122 elderly patients participated. There was an overall decreasing trend in supportive care needs, with Type D personality patients having significantly higher levels of supportive care needs than the non-Type D personality patients at all stages. Through linear mixed models, it was found that the Type D personality group had a lower overall downward trend than the non-Type D personality group, with need levels remaining consistently higher. This difference persisted after controlling for demographic information, symptom burden, social support. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly breast cancer patients with Type D personality had higher levels of supportive care needs and a slower rate of decline that was maintained over a longer period than those with non-Type D personality.

The protective effect of inhibiting mitochondrial fission on the juvenile rat brain following PTZ kindling through inhibiting the BCL2L13/LC3 mitophagy pathway.

Maintaining the balance of mitochondrial fission and mitochondrial autophagy on seizures is helpful to find a solution to control seizures and reduce brain injuries. The present study is to investigate the protective effect of inhibiting mitochondrial fission on brain injury in juvenile rat epilepsy induced by pentatetrazol (PTZ) by inhibiting the BCL2L13/LC3-mediated mitophagy pathway. PTZ was injected (40 mg/kg) to induce kindling once every other day, for a total of 15 times. In the PTZ + DMSO (DMSO), PTZ + Mdivi-1 (Mdivi-1), and PTZ + WY14643 (WY14643) groups, rats were pretreated with DMSO, Mdivi-1 and WY14643 for half an hour prior to PTZ injection. The seizure attacks of young rats were observed for 30 min after model establishment. The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to test the cognition of experimental rats. After the test, the numbers of NeuN(+) neurons and GFAP(+) astrocytes were observed and counted by immunofluorescence (IF). The protein expression levels of Drp1, BCL2L13, LC3 and caspase 3 in the hippocampus of young rats were detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blotting (WB). Compared with the PTZ and DMSO groups, the seizure latency in the Mdivi-1 group was longer (P < 0.01), and the severity degree and frequency of seizures were lower (P < 0.01). The MWM test showed that the incubation periods of crossing the platform in the Mdivi-1 group was significantly shorter. The number of platform crossings, the platform stay time, and the ratio of residence time/total stay time were significantly increased in the Mdivi-1 group (P < 0.01). The IF results showed that the number of NeuN(+) neurons in the Mdivi-1 group was greater, while the number of GFAP(+) astrocytes was lower. IHC and WB showed that the average optical density (AOD) and relative protein expression levels of Drp1, BCL2L13, LC3 and caspase 3 in the hippocampi of rats in the Mdivi-1 group were higher (P < 0.05). The above results in the WY14643 group were opposite to those in the Mdivi-1 group. Inhibition of mitochondrial fission could reduce seizure attacks, protect injured neurons, and improve cognition following PTZ-induced epilepsy by inhibiting mitochondrial autophagy mediated by the BCL2L13/LC3 mitophagy pathway.

Polysaccharides from Brasenia schreberi with Great Antioxidant Ability and the Potential Application in Yogurt.

Brasenia schreberi is a widely consumed aquatic plant, yet the knowledge regarding its bioactive components, particularly polysaccharides, remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to optimize the extraction process of polysaccharides from B. schreberi using the response surface method (RSM). Additionally, we characterized the polysaccharides using various methods and assessed their antioxidant capabilities both in vitro and in vivo, employing cell cultures and Caenorhabditis elegans. Furthermore, these polysaccharides were incorporated into a unique yogurt formulation. Our findings demonstrated that hot water extraction was the most suitable method for extracting polysaccharides from B. schreberi, yielding samples with high sugar content, significant antioxidant capacity, and a well-defined spatial structure. Moreover, pectinase was employed for polysaccharide digestion, achieving an enzymolysis rate of 10.02% under optimized conditions using RSM. Notably, the results indicated that these polysaccharides could protect cells from oxidative stress by reducing apoptosis. Surprisingly, at a concentration of 250 µg/mL, the polysaccharides significantly increased the survival rate of C. elegans from 31.05% to 82.3%. Further qPCR results revealed that the polysaccharides protected C. elegans by up-regulating the daf-16 gene and down-regulating mTOR and insulin pathways, demonstrating remarkable antioxidant abilities. Upon addition to the yogurt, the polysaccharides significantly enhanced the water retention, viscosity, and viability of lactic acid bacteria. These outcomes underscore the potential of polysaccharides from B. schreberi as a valuable addition to novel yogurt formulations, thereby providing additional theoretical support for the utilization of B. schreberi.

Atractylodin induces oxidative stress-mediated apoptosis and autophagy in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells through inhibition of the P13K/Akt/mTOR pathway.

This study aimed to determine the apoptosis and autophagy-inducing mechanism of atractylodin in human breast cancer MCF-7 cells. The molecular mechanism of anticancer activity of atractylodin was confirmed by assessing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, lipid peroxidation (LPO), antioxidants activity, dual staining, and comet assay. Moreover, cleaved caspases 3, 8, and 9, and signaling proteins, such as p53, Bcl-2, and Bax, phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin(P13K/Akt/mTOR), LC3I and LC3II, and beclin-1 were analyzed. In MCF-7 cells treated with atractylodin, the concentration-dependent toxicity, increased LPO, increased production of ROS, and decreased activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidasewere observed. In MCF-7 cells, atractylodin administration decreased Bcl-2 expression while activating the expression of p53, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, caspase-8, and caspase-9 apoptotic members. Furthermore, atractylodin blocked the P13K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, increased the conversion of LC3I to its lipidated form of LC3II, and increased beclin-1 expression, whereas downregulated the p62 expression in MCF-7 cells. As a result, altering apoptotic and autophagy-related biomarkers, atractylodin triggered apoptosis and autophagy in MCF-7 cells. As a result, atractylodin could be utilized to treat human breast cancer after the proper clinical trial.

Tyrosinase covalently immobilized on carboxyl functionalized magnetic nanoparticles for fishing of the enzyme's ligands from Prunellae Spica.

In this study, tyrosinase was immobilized on carboxyl functionalized silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for the first time to be used for fishing of tyrosinase's ligands present in complex plant extract. The immobilized tyrosinase was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermo-gravimetric analyzer, and atomic force microscopy. The reusability and thermostability of the immobilized tyrosinase were found significantly superior to its free counterpart. Two tyrosinase's ligands, that is, caffeic acid (1) and rosmarinic acid (2), were fished out from extract of the traditional Chinese medicine Prunellae Spica by the immobilized tyrosinase. Compound 1 was found to be an activator of the enzyme with the half maximal effective concentration value of 0.27 ± 0.06 mM, while compound 2 was an inhibitor with the half maximal inhibitory concentration value of 0.14 ± 0.03 mM. Taking advantage of the convenience of magnetic separation and specific extraction ability of ligand fishing, the proposed method exhibited great potential for screening of bioactive compounds from complex matrices.

Taurine supplementation improves hippocampal metabolism in immature rats with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) through protecting neurons and reducing gliosis.

Taurine as an essential amino acid in the brain could play an important role in protecting the fetal brain of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The hippocampus with IUGR showed neural metabolic disorder and structure changed that affected memory and learning ability. This study was aimed to identify the effect of taurine supplementation on the metabolism alterations and cellular composition changes of the hippocampus in IUGR immature rats. Metabolite concentrations were determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in the hippocampus of juvenile rats with IUGR following taurine supplementation with antenatal or postnatal supply. The composition of neural cells in the hippocampus was observed by immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and western blotting (WB). Antenatal taurine supplementation increased the ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) /creatine (Cr) and glutamate (Glu) /Cr of the hippocampus in the IUGR immature rats, but reduced the ratios of choline (Cho) /Cr and myoinositol (mI) /Cr. At the same time, the protein expression of NeuN in the IUGR rats was increased through intrauterine taurine supplementation, and the GFAP expression was reduced. Especially the effect of antenatal taurine was better than postpartum. Furthermore, there existed a positive correlation between the NAA/Cr ratio and the NeuN protein expression (R = 0.496 p < 0.001 IHC; R = 0.568 p < 0.001 WB), the same results existed in the relationship between the mI/Cr ratio and the GFAP protein expression (R = 0.338 p = 0.019 IHC; R = 0.440 p = 0.002 WB). Prenatal taurine supplementation can better improve hippocampal neuronal metabolism by increasing NAA / Cr ratio related to the number of neurons and reducing Cho / Cr ratio related to the number of glial cells.

Two Novel Flavonoids with Lipid-Lowering Activity from Yi Medicine Shekaqi.

Yi medicine Shekaqi is the most attractive traditional ethnic medicine due to its significant and diverse pharmacological activities. Two novel flavonoids, including 5,2'-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-7-decyloxyflavone and tenaxin II-7-O-ß-D-glucuronopyranosyl acid butyl ester, along with six known flavonoids, were isolated from Yi medicine Shekaqi. Their structures were elucidated based on the analysis of their comprehensive spectral data. The in vitro lipid-lowering activities of the eight compounds showed that all the compounds significantly inhibited the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced increase in the total cholesterol (TC) level, while compounds 1, 4, 6, 7, and 8 significantly inhibited the LPS-induced increase in the triglyceride (TG) level.

Taurine improves the differentiation of neural stem cells in fetal rats with intrauterine growth restriction via activation of the PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) affects brain neural stem cell (NSC) differentiation. In the present study, we investigated whether taurine supplementation may improve NSC differentiation in IUGR fetal rats via the protein kinase A-cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) response element protein-brain derived neurotrophic factor (PKA-CREB-BDNF) signaling pathway. The IUGR fetal rat model was established with a low-protein diet. Fresh subventricular zone (SVZ) tissue from the fetuses on the 14th day of pregnancy was microdissected and dissociated into single-cell suspensions, then was cultured to form neurospheres. The neurospheres were divided into the control group, the IUGR group, the IUGR+taurine (taurine) group, the IUGR+H89 (H89) group and the IUGR+taurine+H89 (taurine+H89) group. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PKA, CREB and BDNF were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting (WB). Tuj-1-positive neurons and GFAP-positive glial cells were detected by immunofluorescence. The total number of proliferating NSCs and the percentage of Tuj-1-positive neurons in the IUGR group were lower than those in the control group, but the percentage of GFAP-positive cells was higher in the IUGR group than in the control group. Taurine supplementation increased the total number of neural cells and the percentage of Tuj-1-positive neurons, and reduced the percentage of GFAP-positive cells among differentiated NSCs after IUGR. H89 reduced the total number and percentage of Tuj-1-positive neurons and increased the percentage of GFAP-positive cells. The mRNA and protein levels of PKA, CREB, and BDNF were lower in the IUGR group. The mRNA and protein expression levels of these factors were increased by taurine supplementation but reduced by the addition of H89. Taurine supplementation increased the ratio of neurons to glial cells and prevented gliosis in the differentiation of NSCs in IUGR fetal rats by activating the PKA-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway.

Analysis of the levels of hope and influencing factors in infertile women with first-time and repeated IVF-ET cycles.

PURPOSE: To explore the hope levels and influencing factors in infertile women undergoing first-time and repeated in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional and convenient sampling study conducted among patients undergoing IVF-ET from January to June 2019. Patients were divided into first-time and repeated groups by the number of IVF-ET cycles, and then a questionnaire survey was administered. The questionnaire included demographic information, Herth hope index (HHI) scale, Locke-Wallace short marital-adjustment test scale and social support rating scale. Multiple linear regression was used to analyse the influencing factors associated with hope levels. RESULTS: A total of 298 IVF-ET patients were recruited for the study, including 150 (50.3%) in the first-time cycle group and 148 (49.7%) in the repeated cycle group. The HHI score of the repeated cycle group was significantly lower than that of the first-time cycle group (34.4 ± 3.5 vs. 37.5 ± 3.7, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that repeated IVF-ET and age were independently negatively correlated with HHI, with standardized coefficient ß values of - 0.895 and - 0.223, respectively (both P < 0.001). High education level (P = 0.002), high monthly income (P = 0.020), high degree of short marital-adjustment test (P < 0.001) and social support rating (P < 0.001) were independently positively correlated with HHI. CONCLUSION: Infertile women undergoing repeated IVF-ET have low hope levels. Maintaining a good marriage adjustment and establishing a good social support and relationship network could effectively improve their hope levels.

Hope level is closely related to patients' mental health and emotional state. Therefore, improving the hope level of infertile women with IVF-ET could contribute to relieving the psychological pressure of patients and improving the success rate of pregnancy. This study aimed to evaluate the hope level of infertile women with different IVF-ET cycles and analyse its influencing factors to provide guidance for clinical nurses to clarify the intervention objects, select reasonable intervention measures and improve the hope levels of patients. A total of 298 IVF-ET patients were recruited in the study, including 150 in the first-time cycle group and 148 in the repeated cycle group. The results showed that the hope level of patients with repeated IVF-ET cycles was significantly lower than that of patients undergoing first-time treatment. We also analysed its influencing factors and found that repeated IVF-ET cycles and age were independent negative correlation factors in hope levels. High monthly income, living in the city, high marital adjustment and social support score were independent positive correlation factors in hope levels. Therefore, maintaining a good marriage adjustment and establishing a good social support and relationship network could effectively improve their hope levels.

The Clinical Significance of Nasal Nitric Oxide Concentrations in Preschool Children with Nasal Inflammatory Disease.

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis is an allergic inflammation of the nasal airways, and chronic rhinosinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. It can be induced by infection, allergy, or autoimmune problems. Diagnosis of these two diseases is made primarily based on clinical symptoms, allergen test, and imaging. The allergen test is invasive and expensive. The imaging test is harmful to children. Measurement of nasal nitric oxide (NNO) was noninvasive, without radiation, and inexpensive. This study was to evaluate the clinical significance of NNO in preschool children with nasal inflammatory diseases. METHODS: A total of 55 cases of allergic rhinitis, including 35 mild cases and 20 moderate to severe cases, and 33 cases of chronic rhinosinusitis, including 18 mild cases and 15 moderate to severe cases were selected as the experimental group. Fifty healthy preschool children were chosen as the control group. The levels of NNO in all children were measured. The differences in the levels of NNO among allergic rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, and the control group were compared. The levels of NNO in the control group were also analyzed. RESULTS: The levels of NNO were significantly higher in preschool children with allergic rhinitis than in the control group, and the differences were significant. However, the levels of NNO in preschool children with chronic rhinosinusitis were lower than in the control group. In the control group, the levels of NNO were not significantly different between genders, and no significant correlation between NNO levels and the children's height was found. CONCLUSION: As a noninvasive method for detecting nasal inflammatory diseases, measuring the levels of NNO had a high clinical significance in preschool children.

[Relationship between inorganic elements in rhizosphere soil and rhizome radial striations in Ligusticum chuanxiong].

The study is aimed to reveal the fluctuation of the inorganic elements in the rhizosphere soil of Ligusticum chuanxiong during their whole growth period, and explore the relationship between that fluctuation and the formation of radial striations character in the rhizomes. During the cultivation period of L. chuanxiong, the rhizosphere soil samples were taken regularly, and the content of 26 inorganic elements were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry(XRF). Then the difference between the radial striations and un-radial striations rhizomes were analyzed for their fluctuation of the inorganic elements. The results showed that there were different "key period" and "key elements" in the rhizosphere elements content of L. chuanxiong rhizome with radial and un-radial striations, and different element coordination and antagonistic relationship. The key fluctuation period of rhizosphere elements in un-radial striations group were in 0-60 and 60-150 days, of which 22 elements such as Na, Mg, Al were the key elements in 0-60 days, and 5 elements such as Sr, Hf, Pb, Co, Ce were the key elements in 60-150 days. The key fluctuation period of rhizosphere elements in radial striations group were in 0-60 and 210-270 days, of which four elements such as Na, Co, Ce, As are the key change elements in 0-60 days, and 18 elements such as Mg, Al, Si are the key change elements in 210-270 days. At the same time, the study showed that the fluctuation of inorganic elements in rhizosphere soil coincided with the growth and development process of L. chuanxiong and the key period of the formation of "radial striations rhizome". The key stage which the rapid growth of lateral buds of rhizome affected the formation of radial striations is 60-150 days after planting, while the increase of Sr and Co elements is likely to be an important reason for the expansion of lateral buds of rhizome and the failure to form typical "radial striations rhizome" in un-radial striations group.

Body composition patterns and breast cancer risk in Chinese women with breast diseases: A latent class analysis.

AIMS: To identify unobserved body composition patterns among Chinese women with breast diseases using latent class analysis (LCA) and to examine the relationship between body composition patterns and breast cancer (BC) risk. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional study. METHODS: Female patients (N = 1816) with breast diseases were included in the study from April 2016 - March 2017. Body composition measures were done by the bioelectrical impedance analysis. The LCA models were estimated using Mplus 8.1. RESULTS: Four latent classes were identified based on water, protein, minerals and body fat mass: Class 1 - Low Muscle Mass class; Class 2 - High Body Composition class; Class 3 - High Fat class; and Class 4 - Normal Body Composition Class. Classes 2 and 3 are higher risk classes for developing BC compared with the other two classes (p < 0.05). Overall, age is positively associated with the odds of BC development (p < 0.001). However, age effect depends on the body composition patterns. Age effect on the odds of BC was statistically significant only for women who had least body fat mass (Class 1, OR = 1.110, 95% C.I.: 1.084-1.136) or had normal body composition (Class 4, OR = 1.090, 95% C.I.: 1.036-1.147). The effect of age was not statistically significant if women had higher risk body composition (e.g., in Classes 2 or 3). CONCLUSION: Latent Class Analysis is a useful person-centred analytical approach for identification of unobserved patterns of body composition and it could be used to predict the risk of BC and develop personalized interventions for body composition studies.

Percent Body Fat Change in Chinese Women After Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND Weight gain is a common side effect observed in breast cancer (BC) patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy, although the characteristics and mechanism are not been fully understood. This study aimed to investigate percent body fat (%BF) change, and identify the associated risk factors among Chinese women receiving chemotherapy for BC. MATERIAL AND METHODS A prospective longitudinal study was conducted on a cohort of 140 Chinese female patients with BC between June 2016 and October 2017. Data on demographic and clinical features were collected using a standard protocol. Anthropometric parameters including body weight and %BF were measured before and after chemotherapy. Multiple logistic analysis was performed to identify the risk factors for %BF change. RESULTS A total of 52.9% and 58.6% of the 140 patients experienced gains in weight and %BF after chemotherapy, respectively, with mean increases of 2.1±1.9 kg and 1.3±2.2%, respectively. Fifty-eight patients gained %BF over 2.5% of the baseline value. Moreover, premenopausal women had a greater mean %BF gain than postmenopausal women (P=0.018). Logistic analysis showed that premenopausal status, younger age, multi-agent chemotherapy regimen, high-calorie diet, and decreased physical activity were independent variables that inducted %BF gain. CONCLUSIONS %BF gain occurred frequently in Chinese women after adjuvant chemotherapy for BC, especially in premenopausal women. An effort should be made to the management of %BF.

Anatomic comparison of veins of Labbé between autopsy, digital subtraction angiography and computed tomographic venography.

OBJECTIVE: The drainage portion of the vein of Labbé varies, and it is difficult to predict whether the operation is likely to damage this vein. The aim of this study was to correlate the microanatomy of the vein of Labbé with digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and computed tomographic venography (CTV), in order to provide a basis for the preservation of the vein of Labbé during a supratentorial surgical approach. METHODS: A total of 30 human cadavers (60 sides) and 61 living patients (110 sides) were examined in this study. Each cadaver head was injected with blue latex via the superior sagittal sinus and the internal jugular veins. The venograms of each patient were obtained from the venous phases of DSA (60 sides for 36 patients) or CTV (50 sides for 25 patients). RESULTS: The patients were divided into four subgroups based on the location where a vein entered the dural sinus: the transverse sinus group, the tentorial group, the petrosal group, and the upper-transverse sinus group. The veins of Labbé in transverse sinus group and petrosal group directly entered dural sinus. The veins of Labbé in tentorial group and upper-transverse sinus group indirectly entered transverse sinus via the tentorium sinus or the upper-transverse sinus. These sinuses were meningeal veins running through two layers of the cerebral dura mater. The length of meningeal veins in these groups was 10.0 ± 7.2 mm. The veins of Labbé were mainly localized around the STP junction, which was the confluence of sigmoid sinus, transverse sinus, and superior petrosal sinus. The distance between the dural entrance of veins and the STP junction was 16.8 ± 10.2 mm. There was no significant difference in the results of the DSA and CTV examinations when compared to the observations in cadavers. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative venograms are useful to design an individualized surgical approach for the preservation of the vein of Labbé. In general, the supratentorial median approach has the least chance to damage this vein. However, when preoperative venograms show that the vein of Labbé is too close to the confluence of sinuses or the meningeal veins are too long, an alternative approach should be chosen.

Cesarean section to prevent mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B virus in China: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is predominantly transmitted through mother-to-child transmission (MTCT). To date, it remains unclear whether the method of parturition affects MTCT of HBV. In order to clarify whether cesarean section, when compared with vaginal delivery, could reduce the risk of MTCT of HBV in China, we conducted this meta-analysis. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed of the PubMed (Medline), Embase, ISI Web of Science, China Biological Medicine Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals databases for articles written in English or Chinese through July 2015.The reference lists of relevant articles were also scrutinized for additional papers. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, or case-control studies investigating the effect of delivery mode on MTCT of HBV were included. RESULTS: This analysis involved 28 articles containing 30 datasets. The data encompassed 9906 participants. The MTCT rate of HBV was 6.76% (670 of 9906) overall, with individual rates of 4.37% (223 of 5105) for mothers who underwent cesarean section and 9.31% (447 of 4801) for those who underwent vaginal delivery. The summary relative risk (RR) was 0.51 (95%CI: 0.44-0.60, P < 0.001), indicating a statistically significant decrease in HBV vertical transmission via cesarean section compared with vaginal delivery. The heterogeneity among studies was moderate with an I 2 of29.3%.Publication bias was not detected by the Egger's and Begg's tests, and the funnel plot was symmetric. In the subgroup analyses, maternal hepatitis B e antigen status and follow-up time did not affect the significance of the results, but hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) administration to mother and infant did. CONCLUSIONS: Cesarean section could reduce the risk of MTCT of HBV in comparison to vaginal delivery in China. However, owing to several limitations of our meta-analysis, future well-designed randomized controlled trials with adequate statistical power, might be a more appropriate next step.

Open reading frames 1a and 1b of the porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) collaboratively initiate viral minus-strand RNA synthesis.

The porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) causes a persistent threat to the swine industry, especially when highly pathogenic PRRSV (HP-PRRSV) emerges. Previous studies have indicated that PRRSV RNA synthesis was correlated with HP-PRRSV virulence. PRRSV RNA synthesis includes genomic RNA and sub-genomic mRNA, and these processes require minus-strand RNA as a template. However, the mechanisms involved in PRRSV minus-strand RNA synthesis are not fully understood. A mini-genome system can be used to assess viral replication mechanisms and to evaluate the effects of potential antiviral drugs on viral replicase activities. In this study, we developed a mini-genome system that uses firefly luciferase as a reporter. Based on this system, we found that PRRSV RNA-dependent RNA polymerase nsp9 alone failed to activate virus minus-strand RNA synthesis. We also demonstrated that combinations of open reading frames 1a (ORF1a) and ORF1b are necessary for viral minus-strand RNA synthesis.