Objective: To observe the influence of left-thoracic radiotherapy on heart function and quality of life in patients with breast cancer after breast-conserving surgery. Methods: A total of 35 patients with breast cancer, who recently received breast-conserving surgery and left-thoracic radiotherapy, were continuously selected as radiotherapy group. They received routine echocardiography (ECG), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and evaluation of Chinese questionnaire of quality of life in patients with cardiovascular diseases (CQQC) before and after radiotherapy. The results were compared with those of 31 patients (control group), who received radical mastectomy without breast radiotherapy in the same period. Results: There were no significant difference in left heart function indexes by ECG and TDI, all dimensional and total scores of CQQC between two groups before radiotherapy (P>0.05 all). After five-week treatment, compared with evaluation before radiotherapy and control group after treatment, there were significant decrease in E [(0.90±0.32) cm/s vs. (0.90±0.38) cm/s vs. (0.86±0.29) cm/s], E/A [(1.28±0.46) vs. (1.28±0.45) vs. (1.20±0.38)], Em [(10.12±1.93) cm/s vs. (9.95±1.64) cm/s vs. (7.51±1.12) cm/s], Em/Am [(1.25±0.26) vs. (1.24±0.23) vs. (0.90±0.15)] （P<0.05 all）, all dimensional scores （P<0.05～<0.01）and total score [(67.36±7.87) scores vs. (63.75±7.26) scores vs. (52.83±6.40) scores] （P<0.01）of CQQC in radiotherapy group. Conclusion: There are often decrease in left heart function and quality of life in patients with breast cancer undergoing left-thoracic radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery, so it’s necessary to perform targeted rehabilitative treatment.

Many tumors depend on glutamine for energy.Glutamine metabolism is recognized as a distinctive feature in addition to Warburg effect in tumors.Nuclear medicine molecular tracer techniques represented by positron emission tomography (PET) provide a good means for early diagnosis and prognosis of tumors.PET imaging can detect glutamine metabolism region in tumors noninvasively,which can provide new diagnosis and therapeutics for glutamine-addicted tumors.

Objective To observe the survival and reproduction of Oncomelania hupensis snails and their susceptibility to schistosome in schistosomiasis non-endemic area of the Yangtze River estuary in Southern Jiangsu.Methods The soil and water from the Yangtze River estuary of Southern Jiangsu were used for the experiment.The snails reproduced in the same year were collected from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and raised in the laboratory.The snail survival and reproduction rates and schistosome infection of the snails were observed.The soil collected from schistosomiasis endemic area was used in the control group.Results There was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups for the snail survival rates both in 6 and 12 months (X~2= 0.727 8,P > 0.05 and X~2 = 0.416 1,P > 0.05).Each female snail reproduced 67.69 eggs in average (95 % CI:24.026 0-110.097 4).The average hatchability rate of snail eggs was 83.60%,and there was no significant difference between the 2 groups (X~2= 9.131 8,P > 0.05).The schistosome infection rate of the second generation snails was 1.40% (5/356) 60 days after the infection in the laboratory.Conclusions The snails collected from the upper reaches of the Yangtze River marshland can survival and reproduce in the soil and water from schistosomiasis non-endemic area of the Yangtze River estuary of Southern Jiangsu,and the second generation of the snails can be infected with schistosome in the laboratory.

Objective:To study the impact of selective occlusion of hepatic arterial blood flow in external capsule excision for hepatic cystic echinococcosis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the data of 80 patients with hepatic cystic echinococcosis who underwent surgical treatment from January 2017 to January 2019 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University. There were 36 males and 44 females, with an average age of 47 years. All patients underwent external capsule excision of hepatic cystic echinococcosis. According to the type of intraoperative blood flow occlusion, the patients were divided into: group A ( n=42), selective occlusion of hepatic artery; group B ( n=38), Pringle’s maneuvre. The hospitalization stay, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative ventilation time and complications were compared between the two groups. The postoperative alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), albumin, and total bilirubin were compared between the two groups. Results:The intraoperative blood loss (215.7±29.6) ml, postoperative ventilation time (2.3±0.1)d, and hospital stay (11.6±1.0) d in group A were better than those in group B (254.8±20.6) ml, (3.2±0.2) d, (12.7±0.7) d, the differences were significant (all P<0.05). There were 4 patients (9.5%) who developed postoperative complications in group A and 5 patients (13.2%) in group B. There was no significant difference between the two groups ( P>0.05). Group A had better ALT, AST, albumin, and total bilirubin on day 3 after operation, and the differences were significant (all P<0.05). The ALT (62.8±5.2) U/L, AST (32.7±2.6) U/L, albumin (39.1±0.3) g/L, total bilirubin (12.1±0.5) μmol/L in Group A were better than group B (121.9±5.6) U/L, (53.9±8.0) U/L, (32.2±0.6) g/L, (19.3±0.9) μmol/L on day 5 after operation, the differences were significant (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Selective occlusion of the hepatic artery in external capsule excision for hepatic cystic echinococcosis was superior to the traditional Pringle’s maneuver in controlling intraoperative bleeding and postoperative liver function recovery.

Objective:To compare the ability of triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio and triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) in identifying nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Methods:A total of 11 524 eligible subjects who underwent physical examination in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from January to December in 2018 were selected in this research. The correlation between TG/HDL-C, TyG and NAFLD was analyzed by using binary logistic regression. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of TyG and TG/HDL-C were drawn for identifying NAFLD in male and female, and their diagnostic value for NAFLD was compared.Results:The prevalence of NAFLD increased with TG/HDL-C and TyG. After adjusting for confounding factors, when compared with that in the first quartile group of TG/HDL-C, the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals ( CI) of NAFLD risk in the second, third and fourth quartile groups of TG/HDL-C was 2.380 (2.039-2.779), 3.902 (3.342-4.555) and 7.903 (6.745-9.259), respectively. Compared with that in the first quartile group of TyG, the OR (95% CI) of NAFLD risk in the second, third and fourth quartile groups of TyG was 2.243 (1.923-2.617), 3.918 (3.363-4.565) and 9.002 (7.676-10.559), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of TG/HDL-C and TyG in identifying NAFLD in male was 0.746 and 0.744, respectively, and there was no significant difference between the two indexes ( P=0.509 1). The AUCs of TG/HDL-C and TyG in identifying NAFLD in female was 0.785 and 0.799, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.001). The cut-off point of TG/HDL-C for identifying NAFLD in male was 1.02, and the cut-off point of TyG for identifying NAFLD in female was 8.55. Conclusions:TG/HDL-C and TyG are closely related to NAFLD in adults. There is no difference between TG/HDL-C and TyG in evaluating NAFLD in male, while TyG is better than TG/HDL-C in evaluating NAFLD in female.

Objective:To evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy and safety of three different medicated eye patches in the treatment of Demodex blepharitis. Methods:A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled clinical trial was conducted.A total of 140 patients (280 eyes) with Demodex blepharitis were recruited in Shanghai Jing'an District Shibei Hospital, Xi'an Fourth Hospital and Kunming First People's Hospital from July 2021 to December 2022.The affected eyes were randomly divided into tea tree oil group, okra oil group, basal fluid control group and metronidazole group by the random number table method.Eye patches containing 20% tea tree oil, 1% okra oil, prepared base solution and 2% metronidazole were applied to the eyes for 28 days by the double-blind method.The count of Demodex was evaluated before treatment and on days 14 and 28 of treatment.Ocular surface symptoms were scored according to Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). The degree of congestion at the eyelid margin and cylindrical dandruff at the root of eyelashes were scored under a slit lamp microscope.The effective rate was calculated according to the comprehensive scores above, and the adverse reactions of the subjects were observed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanghai Jing'an District Shibei Hospital (No.YL-20200320-05). All the subjects were informed of the significance, purpose and method of the study.Written informed consent was obtained from each subject before any medical examination. Results:All subjects completed the treatment and follow-up, and the loss to follow-up rate was 0%.After 14 and 28 days of treatment, the Demodex count was significantly decreased in all groups compared with before treatment (all at P<0.05). After 28 days of treatment, the number of Demodex in tea tree oil group, okra oil group and metronidazole group were significantly lower than that in basal fluid control group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). The OSDI score, palpebral margin congestion score and cylindrical dandruff score on 14 and 28 days after treatment in tea tree oil group, okra oil group and metronidazole group were significantly lower than before treatment, showing statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). After 28 days of treatment, the effective rates of tea tree oil group, okra oil group and metronidazole group were 71.4%, 71.4% and 62.9%, respectively, which were significantly higher than 25.7% in basal solution control group.No serious local or systemic adverse reactions were found during the treatment and follow-up. Conclusions:Eye patches containing tea tree oil, okra oil and metronidazole have significant effects on the treatment of Demodex blepharitis, which can improve the biological environment of the palpebral margin and eliminate the inflammation related to blepharitis.

Objective:To investigate and analyze the psychological stress status and influencing factors of medical staff in comprehensive grade A hospitals.Methods:This was a cross-sectional survey using a convenient sampling method. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 2 048 staff members of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from February 25 to June 16, 2022. The questionnaires included the Self-rating Stress Questionnaire (SSQ-53), the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and the Self-rating Depression Scale. A total of 2 048 questionnaires were distributed and 2 048 were collected. Among them, 2 006 (97.95%) were valid questionnaires, and 2 006 medical staff were ultimately included in the analysis. According to the results of the scale, they were divided into the increased psychological stress group and the non increased psychological stress group. Descriptive analysis, independent sample t-test/chi-square test, correlation analysis, and other methods were used to analyze the psychological stress status of medical staff and the distribution of related factors, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze their influencing factors. Results:A total of 310 (15.5%) out of 2 006 study subjects showed increased psychological stress. Women had a statistically significant increase in physical (14.7% vs 8.0%, χ2=12.40, P<0.001) and emotional dimensions (18.2% vs 13.5%, χ2=5.04, P=0.025) of stress compared to men. The level of psychological stress was positively correlated with anxiety and depression ( r=0.810, 0.749, respectively, P<0.001). Univariate analysis showed that those who were women ( χ2=6.76, P=0.009), with low education backgrounds ( Z=-2.50, P=0.012), nurses ( χ2=15.72, P<0.001), or working in emergency departments ( χ2=13.64, P=0.009) had a higher rate of increased psychological stress, while the serum calcium level in the increased psychological stress group was lower than that in the non increased psychological stress group ( t=2.82, P=0.005). Multivariate analysis showed that low educational backgrounds ( OR=2.238, 95% CI: 1.090-4.597, P=0.028) and working in emergency department ( OR=1.589, 95% CI: 1.012-2.493, P=0.044) were independent risk factors for increased psychological stress of medical staff. Working in administrative and logistics departments ( OR=0.466, 95% CI: 0.229-0.950, P=0.036) and serum calcium level ( OR=0.213, 95% CI: 0.059-0.760, P=0.017) were negatively correlated with increased psychological stress. Conclusions:In comprehensive grade A hospitals, medical staff working in the emergency department or with lower educational backgrounds face greater psychological stress. Serum calcium level is negatively correlated with increased psychological stress, but the causal relationship needs further study.

Objective Using the information - motivation - behavior model (IMB) to intervene with the alcohol dependence patients and provide a new strategy for implementing health education. Methods Eighty-nine patients with alcohol dependence, who clinically recovered or improved after the discharge, were randomly divided into a research group and a control group. Both groups received routine health education, rehabilitation guidance and a follow-up call. The research group implemented additional IMB health education. The implementation effect on alcohol dependence scale (ADS), Michigan alcoholism screening test (MAST), and alcohol dependence prevention and treatment knowledge (self-designed questionnaire) of the two groups before and after intervention was analyzed. Results The relapse rate of the research group was lower than that the control group, which was statistically significant (P＜0.05). MAST scale and ADS scale in the research group were lower than those in the control group within 3 months and 6 months after the discharge, which was significant (P values of both scales ＜0.05). After the 6-month follow-up, the knowledge of alcohol dependence patients in the research group and their families was significantly higher than that in the control group (P＜0.05). Conclusion IMB health education implementation for alcohol dependence patients significantly reduced the relapse rate, decreased physical and psychological dependence, and improved the ability of patients to prevent and control alcohol dependence.

BACKGROUND: Progressive lipid loss of adipose tissue is a major feature of cancer-associated cachexia. In addition to systemic immune/inflammatory effects in response to tumor progression, tumor-secreted cachectic ligands also play essential roles in tumor-induced lipid loss. However, the mechanisms of tumor-adipose tissue interaction in lipid homeostasis are not fully understood. METHODS: The yki -gut tumors were induced in fruit flies. Lipid metabolic assays were performed to investigate the lipolysis level of different types of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) treated cells. Immunoblotting was used to display phenotypes of tumor cells and adipocytes. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis was carried out to examine the gene expression levels such as Acc1 , Acly , and Fasn et al . RESULTS: In this study, it was revealed that tumor-derived IGFBP-3 was an important ligand directly causing lipid loss in matured adipocytes. IGFBP-3, which is highly expressed in cachectic tumor cells, antagonized insulin/IGF-like signaling (IIS) and impaired the balance between lipolysis and lipogenesis in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. Conditioned medium from cachectic tumor cells, such as Capan-1 and C26 cells, contained excessive IGFBP-3 that potently induced lipolysis in adipocytes. Notably, neutralization of IGFBP-3 by neutralizing antibody in the conditioned medium of cachectic tumor cells significantly alleviated the lipolytic effect and restored lipid storage in adipocytes. Furthermore, cachectic tumor cells were resistant to IGFBP-3 inhibition of IIS, ensuring their escape from IGFBP-3-associated growth suppression. Finally, cachectic tumor-derived ImpL2, the IGFBP-3 homolog, also impaired lipid homeostasis of host cells in an established cancer-cachexia model in Drosophila . Most importantly, IGFBP-3 was highly expressed in cancer tissues in pancreatic and colorectal cancer patients, especially higher in the sera of cachectic cancer patients than non-cachexia cancer patients. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that tumor-derived IGFBP-3 plays a critical role in cachexia-associated lipid loss and could be a biomarker for diagnosis of cachexia in cancer patients.
Humans ; Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/metabolism* ; Culture Media, Conditioned/pharmacology* ; Cachexia/pathology* ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms ; Somatomedins/metabolism* ; Insulins/metabolism* ; Lipids