BACKGROUND

Hand grip strength (HGS) is a tool to measure muscle strength, which is an important component in sarcopenia and frailty. Grip strength (GS) in midlife can predict physical disability in senior years and help evaluate a patient's overall health.

The general purpose of this study is to validate the HGS using an aneroid sphygmomanometer and Jamar dynamometer as a diagnostic tool for sarcpenia. The specific aims of this study are (a) to determine the concurrent criterion validity, (b) to determine the reliability, and (c) to measure the inter-rater agreement of the aneroid sphygmomanometer against the Jamar dynamometer in measuring HGS.

This prospective validation study measures HGS using an aneroid sphygmomanometer and Jamar dynamometer obtained from seventy participants 50 years old and above. Statistical methods used in data analysis include Spearman Rho, univariate linear regression analyses, intra-class correlation, inter-rater reliability, intra-rater reliability, Bland-Altman plots, and Lin’s concordance.

There was a significant correlation of HGS with the Jamar dynamometer and aneroid sphygmomanometer regardless of the rater [Spearman Rho (rs=0.762 to 0.778, p=0.001)]. Jamar GS is comparable to GS using a sphygmomanometer with the formula of [Jamar = 0.54 x sphygmomanometer (mmHg) - 45.12].

Aneroid sphygmomanometer can be used as an option to measure GS and has a valid value to predict the Jamar GS value. Hence, it can be an alternate tool for diagnosing sarcopenia.

Objective: To investigate the knowledge of hepatitis C prevention and treatment and related factors among two groups of female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM) in the Xizang Autonomous Region (Xizang) to provide a basis for the subsequent development of Hepatitis C publicity and education strategies. Methods: From August to September 2021, a special survey was conducted among 1 244 FSW and 234 MSM in 5 districts (counties) of 4 regions in Xizang. A one-on-one face-to-face questionnaire survey was adopted, and the χ² test and logistic regression were used to analyze the related factors of awareness of hepatitis C prevention and treatment among FSW and MSM. Results: The awareness rates of hepatitis C prevention and treatment knowledge among FSW and MSM were 35.0% (436/1 244) and 11.1% (26/234), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the positive related factors of FSW' awareness of hepatitis C prevention and treatment knowledge among those who had high school or technical secondary school education (aOR=4.72, 95%CI: 3.30-6.74) and college education or above (aOR=2.24, 95%CI: 1.58-3.18), those who experienced self-perceived risk of HCV infection (aOR=1.87, 95%CI: 1.43-2.45), negative related factors included married or cohabiting (aOR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.35-0.95), divorce or windowless (aOR=0.44, 95%CI: 0.27-0.72), no condom was used in the most recent commercial sexual activity (aOR=0.54, 95%CI: 0.43-0.69). The positive related factors of MSM's awareness of hepatitis C prevention and treatment knowledge were over 40 years old (aOR=8.65, 95%CI: 3.19-23.42) and having a self-perceived risk of HCV infection (aOR=6.25, 95%CI: 2.50-15.61). Conclusions: The awareness rate of hepatitis C prevention and treatment among FSW and MSM was relatively low in Xizang in 2021 and urgently needs to be improved. It is necessary to formulate targeted publicity strategies based on the characteristics of these two groups of people, increase publicity efforts, and expand the coverage of knowledge publicity to popularize key points about the clinical manifestations, treatment options, and transmission routes of hepatitis C, and carry out necessary warnings and education.
Humans ; Male ; Hepatitis C/therapy* ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sex Workers/psychology* ; Homosexuality, Male ; Female ; Adult ; China ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Logistic Models

Humans ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Placenta ; Lung/pathology* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Humans ; Sarcoma ; Transcription Factors ; Biomarkers, Tumor ; Oncogene Proteins, Fusion

Background: An accurate, quantifiable assessment of hand grip strength (HGS) can predict overall strength and health with a good predictor for identifying populations at higher risk for any medical conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, neuromuscular diseases and stroke that helps clinicians establish realistic treatment goals and provides treatment outcome data. The purpose of the study is to determine the percentile scores of HGS of healthy adult individuals of various age groups using Jamar dynamometer and modified sphygmomanometer. Methods: This descriptive study measures HGS using Jamar dynamometer and modified sphygmomanometer obtained from one hundred twenty healthy participants 20 years old and above. Comparative analyses of the 2 apparatuses were conducted using One-Way ANOVA. The reference intervals at different percentiles were calculated using the Clinical and Laboratory Standard Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Results: Grip strength (GS) using Jamar dynamometer (JD) and modified sphygmomanometer (MS) among younger (20- 29 years old) participants, the 50th percentile (Q2) JD score was 28.29 kg with an equivalent MS score of 161.38 mmHg, were significantly higher compared to those across older age groups especially among the ≥70 years old with a JD Q2 score of 16.74 kg and MS Q2 score of 101.33 mmHg. These findings suggest that HGS decreases with increasing age. Conclusion Scores obtained from this study can serve as preliminary baseline values or guide for interpreting GS measurements.
Hand Strength ; Sphygmomanometers

Echinococcosis is a common zoonotic disease in livestock; the type with the highest incidence is cystic echinococcosis (CE). In clinical management, patients with CE of the liver in which the cyst wall is calcified have been found to have better prognoses than those without calcification. In this study, we collected calcified and uncalcified cyst wall tissue from patients with hepatic CE and observed significant changes in the expression of 2336 messenger ribonucleic acids (mRNAs), 178 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), 210 microRNAs (miRNAs), and 33 circular RNAs (circRNAs) using high-throughput sequencing (HTS). Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of differentially expressed RNAs (DERNAs: DEmRNAs, DElncRNAs, DEmiRNAs, and DEcircRNAs) were performed to explore these RNAs’ potential biological functions and signaling pathways. Ultimately, the results of hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase deoxyuridine triphosphate (dUTP) nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining confirmed the correlation between calcification and apoptosis of the cyst wall. In summary, this study was an initial exploration of the molecular-biological mechanism underlying spontaneous calcification of the hydatid cyst wall, and it provides a theoretical basis for exploring new targets for drug treatment in CE.

Racial/ethnic differences in pathologic complete response (pCR), and in overall survival (OS) by pCR status, among early-stage, erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (ERBB2)-low breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) are unknown. Data were from the 2010–2020 National Cancer Database that included Asian/Pacific Islander (API), American Indian/Alaska Native/Other (AIANO), Black, Hispanic, and White patients. pCR and OS were modeled using logistic regression and Cox regression, respectively. Of 25,577 patients, Black patients achieved a 17.4% pCR rate, Hispanic 16.0%, White 14.7%, API 13.5%, and AIANO 10.9%. AIANO patients had lower odds of pCR than White patients (adjusted odds ratio, 0.66;95% confidence interval [CI], 0.48–0.91). Among patients without pCR, API (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.51–0.76) and Hispanic (aHR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.67–0.89) patients had lower mortality risks than White patients. Among patients with pCR, similar OS rates were observed between Hispanic (aHR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.66–1.78), Black (aHR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.55–1.09), API (aHR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.15–1.12), or AIANO (aHR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.05–2.50) and White patients. Post-NACT pCR rates were similar across racial/ethnic groups of early-stage, ERBB2-low breast cancer patients. Among patients without pCR, API and Hispanic patients had better OS; among patients with pCR, there was no differential OS by race/ethnicity. Our findings suggest the need for longitudinal studies of OS differences in this patient population.

Humans ; Thyroid Cancer, Papillary ; Neck/pathology* ; Lymph Nodes/pathology* ; Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology* ; Lymphoma, T-Cell/pathology*

Humans ; Sarcoma ; NFATC Transcription Factors ; RNA-Binding Protein EWS

Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Mucolipidoses ; Placenta