Life disturbance and hospital visit experiences among Chinese patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: The impact of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) on the quality of life of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been rarely reported. Additionally, the challenges faced by these patients in seeking medical care have often been overlooked. In order to explore the personal struggles caused by LUTS and the difficulties or barriers experienced by Chinese patients with BPH when seeking help, we conducted a qualitative interview study. METHODS: Qualitative interviews were conducted among 46 patients with BPH who were hospitalized in three tertiary hospitals in China from July 2021 to November 2022. Grounded theory was adopted as the methodology for the qualitative study. After obtaining written informed consent from the study participants, semi-structured interviews were conducted according to the question guidelines. The interview process was audio-recorded; subsequently, the recordings were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. RESULTS: The difficulties faced by Chinese patients with BPH were classified into seven main themes: (i) disturbed life, (ii) mental burden, (iii) disease cognition and communication, (iv) delayed treatment, (v) medication status, (vi) hospital visits barriers, and (vii) medical insurance issues. Further, each theme was subdivided into 2-5 sub-themes. CONCLUSIONS: LUTS have a certain effect on the life and spirit of patients with BPH. These patients face different degrees of difficulties in treatment and hospital visits. Therefore, better healthcare systems and additional social support are crucial for improving the current plight of these patients.

Bioinformatic analysis of m6A "reader" YTH family in pan-cancer as a clinical prognosis biomarker.

The m6A methylation of mRNA has been demonstrated to interact with the "Reader". YTH domain family is one of the readers containing five members involved in the progression of multiple tumors. The present study aimed to explore the YTH family's role in seventeen cancer types. Data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) dataset and analyzed by Software R 3.6.3. Using different bioinformatics methods, including analyses of the overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS), Gene Set Variation Analysis (GSVA) enrichment. Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer (GDSC), CIBERSORT algorithm, multivariate and lasso cox regression analysis our results reveal that, while the expression of the YTH domain family varies distinctively in different cancer types the expression of YTH family is upregulated in most cancer types, especially in liver cancer, and the liver cancer prediction model established herein includes YTHDF1 and YTHDF2. Therefore, the results of the present study have demonstrated that the YTH domain family has the potential to predict the prognosis of cancer and the sensitivity to immunotherapy.

Preferential decomposition of the major anion in a dual-salt electrolyte facilitates the formation of organic-inorganic composite solid electrolyte interphase.

The performance of a lithium metal battery (LMB) with liquid electrolytes depends on the realization of a stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) on the Li anode surface. According to a recent experiment, a high-concentrated (HC) dual-salt electrolyte is effective in modulating the SEI formation and improving the battery performance. However, the underlying reaction mechanism between this HC dual-salt electrolyte and the lithium metal anode surface remains unknown. To understand the SEI formation mechanism, we first performed 95 ps ab initio Molecular Dynamics (AIMD) simulation and then extend this AIMD simulation to another 1 ns by using Hybrid ab Initio and Reactive Molecular Dynamics (HAIR) to investigate the deep reactions of such dual-salt electrolytes consists of lithium difluorophosphate and lithium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide in dimethoxyethane (DME) solvent at lithium metal anode surface. We observed the detailed reductive decomposition processes of DFP- and TFSI-, which include the formation pathway of CF3 fragments, LiF, and LixPOFy, the three main SEI components observed experimentally. Furthermore, after extending the simulation to 1.1 ns via the HAIR scheme, the decomposition reactions of DME solvent molecules were also observed, producing LiOCH3, C2H4, and precursors of organic oligomers. These microscopic insights provide important guidance in designing the advanced dual-salt electrolytes for developing high-performance LMB.

A novel lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA competing endogenous RNA regulatory network in lung adenocarcinoma and kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: GPRIN1 may be a novel tumor regulator, but its role and mechanism in tumors are still unclear. METHODS: First, a pan-cancer correlation analysis was conducted on the expression and prognosis of GPRIN1 based on the data downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Second, the Starbase database was used to predict the upstream miRNAs and lncRNAs of GPRIN1, and the expression analysis, survival analysis, and correlation analysis were performed to screen the microRNA (miRNAs)/long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) that had a correlation with kidney renal papillary cell carcinoma (KIRP) or lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Third, the CIBERSORT algorithm was employed to calculate the proportion of various types of immune cells, and then the R packages were used for evaluating the relation between GPRIN1 expression and tumor immune cell infiltration as well as between GPRIN1 and the immune cell biomarker. Finally, the correlation analysis was made on GPRIN1 and immune checkpoints (CD274, CTLA4, and PDCD1). RESULTS: The pan-cancer analysis suggested that GPRIN1 was up-expressed in KIRP and LUAD, and it correlated with poor prognosis. LINC00894/MMP25-AS1/SNHG1/LINC02298/MIR193BHG-miR-140-3p was likely to be the most promising upstream regulation pathway of GPRIN1. Upexpression of LINC00894/MMP25-AS1/SNHG1/LINC02298/MIR193BHG and downexpression of miR-140-3p were found relevant with poor outcomes of KIRP and LUAD. GPRIN1 expression was significantly correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration, immune cell biomarkers, and immune checkpoints. CONCLUSIONS: The competitive endogenous (ceRNA) of miR-140-3p-GPRIN1 axis and its upstream lncRNAs are closely related to KIRP and LUAD, and might affect the prognosis and therapeutic effect of KIRP and LUAD.

Structural Features and Digestibility of Corn Starch With Different Amylose Content.

In this study, the in vitro digestibility of corn starch with different amylose content was determined. The results showed that waxy corn starch (WCS) and corn starch (CS) have the highest digestibility, while high amylose corn starch (HACS) has a higher content of resistant starch (RS). Besides being related to amylose content, RS content is also closely related to particle shape, debranched fine structure, molecular structure, and semi-crystalline structure. HACS can maintain a complete particle structure after gelatinization and enzymolysis; differential scanning calorimetry showed a positive correlation between gelatinization enthalpy and RS content. As the amylose content increased, the content of fa (DP 6-12) decreased, while the content of fb2 (DP 25-36) and fb3 (DP ≥ 37) increased, which in-turn decreased the cluster polymer formed by short branch chains, and the formation of more hydrogen bonds between long chain branches improved starch stability. D, which characterizes the compactness of starch semi-crystalline structure, increased with the increase of RS content. HACS 60 with the highest RS content had a unique surface fractal structure between 7.41 < d (2π/q) < 10.58 nm, indicating that the dense structure is effective in maintaining the RS content.

Preparation and characterization of octenyl succinic anhydride modified waxy maize starch hydrolyzate/chitosan complexes with enhanced interfacial properties.

The preparation and characterization of colloidal complexes based on octenyl succinic anhydride starch hydrolyzate (OSAS) and chitosan (CS) were conducted. Results showed that OSA-S/CS ratio (r) and pH significantly affected complex turbidities and yields. The highest turbidity and yield were obtained at r = 6:1 when pH was fixed, and at pH 6.5 when r was fixed. All complexes remained liquid-like except that formed at pH 6.5, which exhibited a gel structure due to the strongest complexation. OSA-S/CS complexes had intertwined core-shell microstructure and exhibited electrostatic interactions between COO- and NH3+ groups of OSA-S and CS, respectively. The complexes prepared at r = 6:1 and pH 6.0 exhibited the most suitable wettability (θow = 91.97°) and interfacial adsorption dynamics. The compact lamellar network and intact cores of these complexes were also shown. This work provides profound and comprehensive information about the formation and physicochemical properties of OSA-S/CS complexes.

Don't Be Afraid to Fail Because You Can Learn From It! How Intrinsic Motivation Leads to Enhanced Self-Development and Benevolent Leadership as a Boundary Condition.

Employee learning from failures is key to effective employee functioning and long-term sustainable development. Although failure is an essential part of the learning process, it is less certain of why individuals would learn from failures and the benefits associated with it. Thus, it is significant to explore the cause and the consequence of learning from failures. Drawing upon self-determination theory, we explore the antecedent, consequence, and boundary condition of employee learning from failures. Random full-time employees in China were recruited to participate in the two-wave survey study via an online survey platform. Empirical results of 381 employees indicate that employee intrinsic motivation is positively related to employee learning from failures, which in turn facilitates employee self-development. Moreover, we found that benevolent leadership, a leadership style that is prevalent in the Chinese work context, plays an important moderating role in affecting the saliency of the indirect effect. Specifically, the indirect effect is more salient when benevolent leadership is higher. We test the hypotheses in SPSS using linear regressions and the PROCESS macro. Our study provides important implications for both theory and practice. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.

Different Workplace Currencies and Employee Voice: From the Multidimensional Approach of Leader-Member Exchange.

Building upon social exchange theory and the current voice research, we posit that employee workplace "currencies of exchange" with the leader (i.e., social currency and work-related currency) are key predictors of employee promotive and prohibitive voice. Furthermore, we distinguish between the different roles of social currency and work-related currency in predicting promotive and prohibitive voice, respectively. More importantly, this study further explores the moderating effects of two important individual characteristics, psychological safety and power distance orientation, on the relationships between currencies and voice. We randomly sampled 598 Chinese employees via an online survey platform to test our hypotheses. Our results show that both social currency and work-related currency are determinants of promotive voice and prohibitive voice. Moreover, the boundary conditions for the two kinds of currencies are different. Specifically, employee psychological safety strengthens the influence of social currency on both types of employee voice, while employee power distance orientation could only amplify the relationship between work-related currency and promotive voice. Our research provides important implications for both theory and practice. Limitations and future directions are also discussed.

Quality-of-life outcomes and unmet needs between ileal conduit and orthotopic ileal neobladder after radical cystectomy in a Chinese population: a 2-to-1 matched-pair analysis.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) is an important consideration after radical cystectomy (RC). Lack of effective ways to assess HRQoL after RC and unawareness of disease-specific problems related to ileal conduit (IC) and orthotopic ileal neobladder (OIN) are serious problems. The present study was to evaluate and compare morbidity and HRQoL between IC and OIN after RC, and examine their unmet needs in the two groups. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was made of 294 patients treated with RC in our hospital between 2007 and 2013. Matched pair analysis was used to determine the patients of IC and OIN groups. Patient HRQoL between IC and OIN groups was assessed using the bladder-specific bladder cancer index (BCI) and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Body Image scale (BIS) questionnaires. Unmet information of patients undergoing these two urinary diversions was recorded through individual interviews. RESULTS: Of the 117 included patients, 39 patients were treated with OIN and the other 78 matched patients with IC as controls for matched pair analysis. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics between the two groups. OIN patients showed significantly better BIS scores in terms of HRQoL outcomes after RC at a short-term (<1 year) follow-up level, but there was no significant difference at a long-term (>1 year) follow-up level between the two groups. Interestingly, urinary bother (UB) and urinary function (UF) were poor in OIN patients at the one-year follow-up level, but there was no significant difference in UB between the two groups at the long term follow-up level. Unmet needs analysis showed that OIN patients had a more positive attitude towards treatment and participated in physical and social activities more positively, although they may have more urine leakage problems. CONCLUSIONS: The mean BIS score in OIN group patients was significantly better than that in IC group patients at the one-year follow-up level, but there was no significant difference at the long-term follow-up level. Due attention should be paid to some particular unmet needs in individual patients in managing the two UD modalities.

Sunitinib dosing schedule 2/1 improves tolerability, efficacy, and health-related quality of life in Chinese patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of sunitinib dosing schedule of 2 weeks on and 1 week off (schedule 2/1) vs. the traditional schedule of 4 weeks on and 2 week off (schedule 4/2) and its influence on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Chinese patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 108 patients with mRCC who were treated with sunitinib regimens (50mg daily) between January 2009 and July 2013 was undertaken. Overall, 3 groups of patients were studied according to the dosing schedule they received: schedule 4/2 (n = 50), transitional schedule 2/1 (T2/1; patients switched from schedule 4/2 to 2/1; n = 26), and initial schedule 2/1 (I2/1; n = 32). The tumor response, progression-free survival (PFS) time, adverse events, and HRQoL were assessed and compared among the groups. RESULTS: The incidences of diarrhea, fatigue, hand-foot syndrome, and neutropenia induced by the treatment of sunitinib were all significantly less common with schedule I2/1 and T2/1 than with schedule 4/2 (P<0.05). Although there was no statistically significant difference in the tumor response among the 3 groups, the median PFS time was significantly longer with schedule I2/1 than with schedules T2/1 and 4/2 (11.2 vs. 9.4 and 9.5mo, respectively, P = 0.030), and HRQoL (as determined by 19-item Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Kidney Symptom Index scores) was better. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with sunitinib 50mg daily using a 2/1 dosing schedule can provide better tolerability and a longer PFS with better HRQoL in Chinese patients with mRCC than the traditional schedule 4/2.

Effects of trilostane and fipronil on the reproductive axis in an early life stage of the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes).

Given the critical role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, it is conceivable that perturbations at any point along this axis can potentially affect reproduction in fish and other vertebrates. We investigated the effects of a 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ß-HSD) inhibitor, trilostane (TRI), and a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-receptor antagonist, fipronil (FIP), on the HPG axis using an early life stage of the Japanese medaka. The newly hatched larvae were exposed to TRI (100, 300 and 1000 µg/L) and FIP (3, 10 and 30 µg/L), respectively, until 28 days post-hatching. Exposure to TRI decreased the body length in males, whereas FIP inhibited growth in both sexes. The induction of steroidogenesis-regulating genes (including 3ß-hsd) in males exposed to TRI, accompanied by increased vtg and er transcription, indicating a compensatory response to the presumed 3ß-HSD inhibition. These compensatory responses were not observed in TRI-treated females. Regarding FIP exposure, the GABA blocker resulted in the down-regulation of fshr and lhr. A compensatory up-regulation of steroidogenesis-regulating genes partially explained the elevated transcripts of vtg genes in both males and females after FIP exposure. These results suggest that both the inhibition of 3ß-HSD and the antagonism of GABA receptors are relevant modes of endocrine disruption that could impact the normal regulation of the HPG axis.

A 10-year single-center experience with surgical management of adrenal myelolipoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose is to report our 10-year experience with surgical management of large or symptomatic adrenal myelolipoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients receiving surgical treatment for adrenal myelolipoma between December 2001 and September 2011 in our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: open surgery and laparoscopic surgery. Patient demographic data, lesion size evaluated by computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging, operation time, blood loss, time of returning to diets, perioperative complications, and length of hospital stay were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: Forty patients (14 received open surgery and 26 received laparoscopic surgery) were enrolled in our study. Both procedures were successful and no patient in the retroperitoneal laparoscopic group required conversion to open surgery. The mean age of the patients was 52.7 years. The median size of the tumor was 5.0 cm. Forty-three percent of patients suffered from lumbago. There was no statistical difference in perioperative complications between the two groups (p>0.05). Retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy patients had a shorter operation time (90.66±37.97 min vs 141.82±62.78 min, p=0.017), less blood loss (150, 100-200 mL vs 450, 300-525 mL, p=0.000), earlier time of returning to diets (2, 2-3 days vs 3, 2-4.5 days, p=0.036), and a shorter hospital stay (6, 5-7 days vs 10, 8-11.25 days, p=0.000) when compared with open surgery patients. CONCLUSION: Both open and laparoscopic surgeries are efficient and safe treatments for large or symptomatic adrenal myelolipoma, and retroperitoneal laparoscopic surgery has the advantages of minimal invasion and rapid postoperative recovery.

mir-155 regulates cardiac allograft rejection by targing the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling-1 (DOCS1) in dendritic cells.

Previously, we observed that mir-155 is induced during dendritic cell (DC) differentiation. We now demon-strated convincing evidence indicating that mir-155 promotes DC maturation and regulates its capacity for antigen presentation and induction of alloreactive T cell activation. Interestingly, the induction of miR-155 expression in DCs is dependent on the TLR4/Myd88/NF-κB signaling. Our mechanistic studies further revealed that SOCS1 is a direct target for mir-155, and by binding to its 3'UTR, mir-155 is likely to affect SOCS1 translation. Suppression of mir-155 expression in DCs significantly attenuated LPS-induced DC maturation along with reduced capability to stimulate allogeneic T cell proliferation. As a result, administration of antagomiR-155 provided protection for cardiac allografts from rejection. Together, our data support that suppression of miR-155 in DCs could be a viable therapeutic strategy for prevention and treatment of allograft rejection in clinical setting of transplantation.

[Change of ESBLs-KPN and ESBLs-ECO after antimicrobial intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the change of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBLs) Producing Klebsiella Pneumoniae (ESBLs-KPN) and Escherichia coli (ESBLs-ECO) causing nosocomial infection after antimicrobial intervention. METHODS: We regularly monitored the data on the yearly consumption [defined as daily dose (DDD) per 1 000 patient-days] of frequently used antibiotics from Dec. 2004 to Dec. 2007. From Jan. 2005 to Dec. 2007, we monitored the resistance of frequently used antibiotics and the timely integrative antimicrobial intervention was based on the outcome of antimicrobial resistance. We also monitored the isolation rate of ESBLs-KPN and ESBLs-ECO causing nosocomial infection. The departments studied were the experimental group and other comparable medical departments were the control group(ICU was excluded). RESULTS: The isolation rate of ESBLs-KPN (43.90%) and ESBLs-ECO (45.83%) in the experimental group was higher than that in the control group (28.04% and 24.90%, respectively) before the intervention (P<0.05). The isolation rate of ESBLs-KPN decreased (from 26.47% to 17.65%) in the experimental group and that in the control group increased ( ESBLs-KPN: from 34.18% to 52.94%; ESBLs-ECO: from 47.13% to 63.78%) from 2005 to 2007 (P<0.05). The isolation rate of ESBLs-KPN and ESBLs-ECO in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group after the antimicrobial intervention (P<0.05). Usage of ceftazidime and cefoperazone/sulbactam and imipenem was reduced and the consumption of cefepime was increased in the experimental group (P<0.05). Consumption of ceftazidime and cefoperazone/sulbactam and cefepime was increased. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ESBLs-KPN and ESBLs-ECO may be decreased after the integrative antimicrobial intervention.

[Effects of angustmycin on callus occurrence and proliferation of Panax notogingseng in vitro].

In order to explore quick, efficient inducement and proliferation of Panax notogingseng callus, the stem sections were taken as explants in the following 5 groups of medium: 1. MS + 2,4-D 2 mg/L (CK), 2. MS + 2,4-D 2 mg/L + N6-BA 2 mg/L, 3. MS + 2,4-D 2 mg/L + KT 2 mg/L, 4. MS + 2,4-D 2 mg/L + ZT 2 mg/L, 5. MS + 2,4-D 2 mg/L + LFS 2 mg/L. The results showed: 1. LFS (Lingfasu, a new kind of CTK) was able to promote the callus formation earlier 1-2 week than CK and to raise the rate of induced callus as high as 81%, higher 30% than that on other 4 mediums; 2. On medium 5, the fresh weight of callus increased 360.2% after being cultured 40 d, on other 4 mediums increased only 13.4%-21.8%. At the same time, 1 g callus cultured 40 d could obtain dry material 81.5 mg on medium 5, but on other 4 mediums only 21.5-25.9 mg; 3. The callus cultured on medium 5. continual generation to generation could live as long as more than 3 years, on other 4 mediums the callus hardened and aged quickly.

[Effects of lingfasu on embryoid and plantlet formation of Panax notoginseng in vitro].

On the medium MS added the right amount of 2,4-D and LFS (Angustmycin) and cultured under dark condition, the callus from stem segments of Panax notoginseng could induce a lot of embryoids. In 2-3 months, the ratio of embryoid formation reached about 90%. Then transplanted on MS + 2,4-D 1.5 mg/L + LFS 2 mg/L and cultured under light 20001x, near 30% embryoids could grow and develop as robust plantlets.