Nowadays the mechanism of homosexuality is little known. Few studies have been carried out to explore the brain functional changes of homosexual men during sexual arousal. We used functional MR ...imaging (fMRI) to determine whether the patterns of brain activation in homosexual and heterosexual men differed during visually evoked sexual arousal.
To all the subjects (10 homosexual and 10 heterosexual), real-time visual stimulation was provided by 3-minute exposure to 3 types of erotic film: heterosexual couples (F-M), male homosexual couples (M-M), and female homosexual couples (F-F) engaged in sexual activity, during which time fMRI was used to determine the patterns of brain activation. Self-reports of level of sexual arousal were collected immediately afterward.
Statistical parametric mapping showed that viewing erotic film excerpts that induced sexual arousal was associated, in both groups, with activation of the middle prefrontal gyrus, bilateral temporal lobe and postcentral gyrus, thalamus, insula, vermis, left precuneus, occipital cortex, parietal cortex, and cerebellum. In homosexual men, the left angular gyrus, left caudate nucleus, and right pallidum were activated; in contrast, heterosexual men showed no activation in these regions. However, heterosexual men showed activation in the bilateral lingual gyrus, right hippocampus, and right parahippocampal gyrus, areas not activated in homosexual men. In both groups, region-of-interest analysis revealed no correlation between the magnitude of amygdala or thalamus activation and the reported level of sexual arousal.
Our findings indicate that different neural circuits are active during sexual arousal in homosexual and heterosexual men and may contribute to a better understanding of the neural basis of male sexual orientation.
Summary
Background
Helicobacter pylori infection is a worldwide threat to human health with recurrence rates that vary widely. The precise correlation between H. pylori recurrence and socioeconomic ...development has not been determined.
Aim
To determine H. pylori recurrence rates after successful eradication and their association with socioeconomic development metrics.
Methods
Bibliographical searches were performed in the MEDLINE database. We reviewed all results, filtered by inclusion criteria, extracted primary results to calculate H. pylori recurrence rates and calculated national Human Development Index (HDI) values for the periods during which the studies were conducted.
Results
One thousand two hundred and twenty six cases of H. pylori recurrence in 77 eligible studies were observed in 43 525.1 follow‐up patient‐years after successful eradication therapy, giving a recurrence rate of 2.82 ± 1.16% per patient‐year (weighted mean ± 95% confidence interval). H. pylori recurrence rate was inversely correlated with national HDI on linear (r = −0.633) and weighted least square (r = −0.546) regression analysis. Countries with very high HDI had a mean recurrence rate significantly lower than that of high, medium and low HDI countries (P < 0.01, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively).
Conclusions
Less‐developed areas, as measured by HDI, are more likely to have high H. pylori recurrence rates. A different approach to follow‐up after H. pylori eradication is needed in developing countries where reinfection is highly prevalent, paying special attention to sources of reinfection and high‐risk groups.
Androgens are generally immunosuppressive, and men with untreated hypogonadism are at increased risk for autoimmune conditions. To date, there has been no evidence linking androgen deprivation ...therapy (ADT) to autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We investigated the association between ADT and RA in patients with prostate cancer.
We identified 105 303 men age 66 years or older who were diagnosed with stages I–III prostate cancer from 1992 through 2006 using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database, excluding patients with a history of RA. χ2 test was used to compare 5-year Kaplan–Meier rates of RA diagnoses. Competing risk Cox regression using inverse probability of treatment weighting was utilized to examine the association between pharmacologic ADT and diagnosis of RA.
The 43% of patients (N = 44 785) who received ADT experienced a higher 5-year rate of RA diagnoses compared with men who did not (5.4% versus 4.4%, P < 0.001). Receipt of any ADT was associated with a 23% increased risk of being diagnosed with RA (hazard ratio 1.23, 95% confidence interval 1.09–1.40, P = 0.001). The risk of being diagnosed with RA increased with a longer duration of ADT, from 19% with 1–6 months and 29% with 7–12 months to 33% with ≥13 months (Ptrend < 0.001).
Consistent with the immunosuppressive properties of androgens, we demonstrated for the first time that ADT was associated with an elevated risk of being diagnosed with RA in this large cohort of elderly men with prostate cancer. The risk was higher with a longer duration of ADT. Linking ADT to an increased risk of being diagnosed with an autoimmune condition adds to mounting evidence of the adverse effects of ADT that should prompt physicians to thoughtfully weigh its risks and benefits.
An ion-pairing reversed-phase liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (IP-RP-LC–MS) was developed for the determination of nucleotides, nucleosides and their transformation products in
Cordyceps. ...Perfluorinated carboxylic acid, namely pentadecafluorooctanoic acid (PDFOA, 0.25
mM), was used as volatile ion-paring agent and a reversed-phase column (Agilent ZORBAX SB-Aq column) was used for the separation of three nucleotides namely uridine-5′-monophosphate (UMP, 0.638–10.200
μg/mL), adenosine-5′-monophosphate (AMP, 0.24–7.80
μg/mL) and guanosine-5′-monophosphate (GMP, 0.42–13.50
μg/mL), seven nucleosides including adenosine (0.55–8.85
μg/mL), guanosine (0.42–6.75
μg/mL), uridine (0.33–10.50
μg/mL), inosine (0.21–6.60
μg/mL), cytidine (0.48–15.30
μg/mL), thymidine (0.20–6.30
μg/mL) and cordycepin (0.09–1.50
μg/mL), as well as six nucleobases, adenine (0.22–6.90
μg/mL), guanine (0.26–4.20
μg/mL), uracil (0.38–12.15
μg/mL), hypoxanthine (0.13–4.20
μg/mL), cytosine (0.39–12.45
μg/mL) and thymine (0.26–8.25
μg/mL) with 5-chlorocytosine arabinoside as the internal standard. The overall LODs and LOQs were between 0.01–0.16
μg/mL and 0.04–0.41
μg/mL for the 16 analytes, respectively. The contents of 16 investigated compounds in natural and cultured
Cordyceps were also determined and compared after validation of the developed IP-RP-LC-MS method. The transformations of nucleotides and nucleosides in
Cordyceps were evaluated based on the quantification of the investigated compounds in three extracts, including boiling water extraction (BWE), 24
h ambient temperature water immersion (ATWE) and 56
h ATWE extracts. Two transformation pathways including UMP
→
uridine
→
uracil and GMP
→
guanosine
→
guanine were proposed in both natural
Cordyceps sinensis and cultured
Cordyceps militaris. The pathway of AMP
→
adenosine
→
inosine
→
hypoxanthine was proposed in natural
C. sinensis, while AMP
→
adenosine
→
adenine in cultured
C. militaris. However, the transformation of nucleotides and nucleosides was not found in commercial cultured
C. sinensis.
We have studied the giant elastocaloric effect of directionally solidified Ni–Mn–In magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) near room temperature. The textured microstructure significantly enhances the ...ductility of Ni–Mn-based MSMAs, which allows obtaining the martensitic transition characteristics of polycrystalline samples in a uniaxial stress field. A significant cooling level of about 4K is measured when the stress is released. The experimentally measured temperature changes are found to be in good agreement with the theoretically calculated values.
Summary
Background
Wheat‐dependent exercise‐induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) is a severe allergic condition in which wheat ingestion together followed by physical exercise induces anaphylaxis. For ...patients with WDEIA, omega‐5 gliadin is considered to be one of the major allergens.
Aim
To analyse the clinical features and allergen spectrum of WDEIA and to investigate the relationship between WDEIA and serum levels of platelet‐activating factor (PAF), interleukin (IL)‐9 and IL‐33.
Methods
Medical histories and conditions of WDEIA cases were collected and summarized, with allergen tests of wheat proteins measured at the same visit. Of the 33 patients enrolled, 13 also had serum levels of PAF, IL‐9 and IL‐33 measured. The healthy control (HC) group consisted of 13 healthy individuals, who also underwent both the wheat‐protein allergen tests and the inflammatory‐mediator tests.
Results
All patients experienced severe allergic reaction during exercise after wheat ingestion. Manifestations of WDEIA included facial oedema, generalized urticaria and respiratory symptoms. Unconsciousness was also observed in 21 cases. In the patient group, 57.6% were confirmed as hypersensitive to glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), while 54.5% were allergic to omega‐5 gliadin. PAF concentration was significantly higher in patients with WDEIA compared with HCs, whereas there was no significant difference in IL‐9 or IL‐33 between the two groups.
Conclusions
WDEIA is a rare type of anaphylaxis. GAPDH and omega‐5 gliadin may be the most common allergy‐causing wheat proteins for Chinese people. PAF may be associated with the onset and development of WDEIA.
Abstract Introduction Previous series during the dissemination era of minimally invasive techniques for treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) showed a declining use of pelvic lymph node dissection ...(PLND). The aim of our study was to re-assess the impact of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) on the utilization rate of PLND and its extent in the post-dissemination period. Methods Relying on the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Medicare-linked database, 5804 patients with non-metastatic PCa undergoing open radical prostatectomy (ORP) or RARP between years 2008 and 2009 were identified. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses tested the relationship between surgical approach (RARP vs. ORP) and: 1 – the rate of PLND (pNx vs. pN0-1); and 2 – the extent of PLND (limited vs. extended). Results Overall, 3357 (57.8%) patients underwent a PLND. The proportion of patients treated with PLND was significantly higher among ORP vs. RARP patients: 71.2 vs. 48.6%, respectively ( P < 0.001). In addition, the median number of lymph nodes removed was significantly higher for patients treated with ORP vs. RARP: 5 vs. 4, respectively ( P < 0.001). In multivariable analyses, ORP was associated with 2.7- and 1.3-fold higher odds of undergoing PLND and of receiving an extended PLND compared to RARP, respectively (both P ≤ 0.001). Stratified analyses according to disease risk classifications revealed similar trends. Conclusions In the post-dissemination era, RARP remains associated with a decreased use of PLND and suboptimum extent. Efforts should be made to improve guideline adherence in performing a PLND whenever indicated according to tumor aggressiveness, despite surgical approach.
Abstract Purpose To examine the potential relationship between androgen deprivation therapy and other-cause mortality (OCM) in patients with prostate cancer treated with medical primary-androgen ...deprivation therapy, prostatectomy, or radiation. Methods A total of 137,524 patients with non-metastatic PCa treated between 1995 and 2009 within the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Medicare-linked database were included. Cox-regression analysis tested the association of ADT with OCM. A 40-item comorbidity score was used for adjustment. Results Overall, 9.3% of patients harbored stage III–IV disease, and 57.7% of patients received ADT. The mean duration of ADT exposure was 22.9 months (median: 9.1; IQR: 2.8–31.5). Mean and median follow-up were 66.9, and 60.4 months, respectively. At 10 years, overall-OCM rate was 36.5%; it was 30.6% in patients treated without ADT vs. 40.1% in patients treated with ADT (p < 0.001). In multivariable-analysis, ADT was associated with an increased risk of OCM (Hazard-ratio HR: 1.11, 95% Confidence-interval 95% CI: 1.08–1.13). Patients with no comorbidity (10-year OCM excess risk: 9%) were more subject to harm from ADT than patients with high comorbidity (10-year OCM excess risk: 4.7%). Conclusions In patients with PCa, treatment with medical ADT may increase the risk of mortality due to causes other than PCa. Whether this is a simple association or a cause–effect relationship is unknown and warrants further study in prospective studies.
Hypoxia induces the expansion of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs), but the mechanism underlying it is still unclear. Here, we supply evidence that hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) induced ...activation of Notch pathway is essential for hypoxia-mediated maintenance of GSC. Either depletion of HIF-1α or inactivation of Notch signaling partly inhibits the hypoxia-mediated maintenance of GSC. Further data suggest a role for HIF-1α in the interaction and stabilization of intracellular domain of Notch (NICD), and activation of Notch signaling. The mRNA level of HIF-1α and Notch target gene FABP7 was elevated in GSC. And the STAT3 pathway responsible for the HIF-1α gene transcription, the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-Akt and ERK1/2, both of which are contributed to HIF-1α protein translation, are also preferentially activated in GSC. Inhibition of these pathways partly reduces the hypoxia-induced activation of the Notch pathway and subsequent GSC maintenance. Taken together, our findings suggest that HIF-1α requires Notch pathway to drive the maintenance of GSC. The activated regulation of HIF-1α makes GSC more sensitive to hypoxia-mediated maintenance. These findings enhance our understanding of mechanism of hypoxia-mediated GSC expansion and provide HIF-1α as an attractive target for glioblastoma therapy.
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