Health-protective behaviors, such as receiving a vaccine, wearing a face mask, and washing hands frequently, can reduce the risk of contracting influenza. However, little is known about how social ...capital may influence health-protective behavior in the general population. This study examined whether each of the social capital dimensions (bonding, bridging, and linking) contributed to the intention to adopt any of the health-protective behaviors in an influenza pandemic. The data of this study were from the 2014 Taiwan Social Change Survey. A stratified, three-stage probability proportional-to-size sampling from across the nation, was conducted to select adults aged 20 years and older (N = 1,745). Bonding social capital was measured by the frequency of neighborly contact and support. Bridging social capital was measured based on association membership. Linking social capital was measured according to general government trust and trust in the government's capacity to counter an influenza pandemic. Binary logistic regressions were used to assess the multivariate associations between social capital and behavioral intention. The study results indicate that social capital may influence the response to influenza pandemic. Specifically, the intention to receive a vaccine and to wash hands more frequently were associated with the linking dimension and the bonding dimension of social capital, while the intention to wear a face mask was associated with all forms of social capital. The findings of this study suggest that government credibility and interpersonal networks may play a crucial role in health-protective behavior. This study provides new insights into how to improve the effectiveness of influenza prevention campaigns.
Summary
A systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted to evaluate the relative effectiveness of different dietary macronutrient patterns on changes in resting energy expenditure (REE) in ...relation to weight loss, categorized as minimal (<5%) and moderate to high (>5%). Changes in REE were assessed using a DerSimonian and Laird random‐effects meta‐analysis. A diet lower in carbohydrates (CHO) or higher in fat and protein was associated with smaller reductions in REE, with these trends being more pronounced among participants who experienced moderate to high weight loss. Adjusted meta‐regression analysis indicated that, within the participants who experienced moderate to high weight loss, each 1% increase in CHO intake was associated with a reduction of 2.30 kcal/day in REE (95% CI: −4.11 to −0.47, p = 0.013). In contrast, a 1% increase in protein and fat intake was correlated with an increase in REE by 3.00 (95% confidence interval CI 1.02, 5.07, p = 0.003) and 0.5 (95% CI −2.43, 3.41, p = 0.740) kcal/day, respectively. No significant associations were found among participants who experienced minimal weight loss. These findings indicate that, under a caloric deficit, the impact of dietary macronutrient composition on REE may vary depending on the degree of weight loss and individual metabolic responses.
Background
Few studies have comprehensively and systematically analyzed nationwide samples. This study purposed to explore temporal trends and predictors of medical resource utilization and medical ...outcomes in these patients to obtain data that can be used to improve healthcare policies and to support clinical and administrative decision-making.
Methods
This study used nationwide population data contained in the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database of Taiwan. The 14,970 inguinal hernia repair patients were enrolled in this study (age range, 18–100 years) from 1997 to 2013 in Taiwan. After temporal trends analysis of demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and institutional characteristics, predictors of postoperative medical resource utilization and medical outcomes were evaluated through multiple linear regression analysis and Cox regression analysis.
Results
The prevalence of inguinal hernia repair per 100,000 population significantly decreased from 195.38 in 1997 to 39.66 in 2013 (
p
< 0.05). Demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and institutional characteristics were significantly associated with postoperative medical resource utilization and medical outcomes (
p
< 0.05). Of these characteristics, both surgeon volume and hospital volume had the strongest association.
Conclusions
The inguinal hernia repair prevalence rate gradually decreased during the study period. Demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and institutional characteristics had strong associations with postoperative medical resource utilization and medical outcomes. Furthermore, hospital volume and surgeon volume had the strongest associations with postoperative medical resource utilization and medical outcomes. Additionally, providing the education needed to make the most advantageous medical decisions would be a great service not only to patients and their families, but also to the general population.
RING finger 43 (RNF43), a RING‐type E3 ubiquitin ligase, is a key regulator of WNT signaling and is mutated in 6–10% of pancreatic tumors. However, RNF43‐mediated effects remain unclear, as only a ...few in vivo substrates of RNF43 are identified. Here, it is found that RNF43‐mutated pancreatic cancer cells exhibit elevated B‐RAF/MEK activity and are highly sensitive to MEK inhibitors. The depletion of RNF43 in normal pancreatic ductal cells also enhances MEK activation, suggesting that it is a physiologically regulated process. It is confirmed that RNF43 ubiquitinates B‐RAF at K499 to promote proteasome‐dependent degradation, resulting in reduced MEK activity and proliferative ability in cancer cells. In addition, phosphorylation of B‐RAF at T491 suppresses B‐RAF ubiquitination by decreasing the interaction between RNF43 and B‐RAF. Mutations at K499 in B‐RAF are identified in various cancer types. MEK and WNT inhibitors synergistically suppress the growth of RNF43‐mutated pancreatic cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, the research reveals a novel mechanism by which RNF43 inhibits B‐RAF/MEK signaling to suppress tumor growth and provide a new strategy for the treatment of RNF43‐inactivated pancreatic cancer.
It is demonstrated that RNF43 ubiquitinates B‐RAF at K499, promoting its degradation. This ubiquitination process is negatively regulated by phosphorylation at T491. Inactivation of RNF43 enhances sensitivity to MEK inhibitors and creates synergy between drugs targeting the WNT and MEK pathways in various RNF43‐mutated cancers.
Erinacine A (EA), a natural neuroprotectant, is isolated from a Chinese herbal medicine, Hericium erinaceus. The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of EA in a rat model ...of traumatic optic neuropathy. The optic nerves (ONs) of adult male Wistar rats were crushed using a standardized method and divided into three experimental groups: phosphate-buffered saline (PBS control)-treated group, standard EA dose-treated group (2.64 mg/kg in 0.5 mL of PBS), and double EA dose-treated group (5.28 mg/kg in 0.5 mL of PBS). After ON crush, each group was fed orally every day for 14 days before being euthanized. The visual function, retinal ganglion cell (RGC) density, and RGC apoptosis were determined using flash visual-evoked potentials (fVEP) analysis, retrograde Fluoro-Gold labelling, and TdT-dUTP nick end-labelling (TUNEL) assay, respectively. Macrophage infiltration of ON was detected by immunostaining (immunohistochemistry) for ED1. The protein levels of phosphor-receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase1 (pRIP1), caspase 8 (Cas8), cleaved caspase 3 (cCas3), tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, tumour necrosis factor receptor1 (TNFR1), interleukin (IL)-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), haem oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) were evaluated by Western blotting. When comparing the standard EA dose-treated group and the double EA dose-treated group with the PBS-treated group, fVEP analysis showed that the amplitudes of P1−N2 in the standard EA dose group and the double EA dose-treated group were 1.8 and 2.4-fold, respectively, higher than that in the PBS-treated group (p < 0.05). The density of RGC in the standard EA dose-treated group and the double EA dose-treated group were 2.3 and 3.7-fold, respectively, higher than that in the PBS-treated group (p < 0.05). The TUNEL assay showed that the standard EA dose-treated group and the double EA dose-treated group had significantly reduced numbers of apoptotic RGC by 10.0 and 15.6-fold, respectively, compared with the PBS-treated group (p < 0.05). The numbers of macrophages on ON were reduced by 1.8 and 2.2-fold in the standard EA dose-treated group and the double EA dose-treated group, respectively (p < 0.01). On the retinal samples, the levels of pRIP, Cas8, cCas3, TNF-α, TNFR1, IL-1β, and iNOS were decreased, whereas those of Nrf2, HO-1, and SOD1 were increased in both EA-treated groups compared to those in the PBS-treated group (p < 0.05). EA treatment has neuroprotective effects on an experimental model of traumatic optic neuropathy by suppressing apoptosis, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress to protect the RGCs from death as well as preserving the visual function.
Liver cancer is the fifth most common cancer in men and the ninth most common cancer in women, and the WHO expects that there will be 1,341,344 cases in 2034 worldwide. Liver cancer also has the ...second-highest cancer death rate, accounting for 7% of all cancers. The study is going to explore the relationship between time interval from diagnosis to treatment and survival status of early-stage liver cancer patients.
This is a retrospective cohort study using the national database from Taiwan. The datasets include the Taiwan Cancer Registry Database (TCR), the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD), and the National Registry of Deaths. The target population for the study was patients newly diagnosed with stage I and stage II liver cancer between the years 2004 and 2010. Total of 26,038 cases were included in the study. Except descriptive analysis, the relationship between patient characteristics and the time interval from diagnosis to treatment was examined by chi-square tests. In addition, modified Cox proportional hazard models were used to analyze the hazard ratio of patient death with various treatment delay durations.
There were 20,430 patients (78.46%) who received treatment less than 30 days after diagnosis, while 2,674 patients (10.27%) received treatment between 31 and 60 days after diagnosis, and 2,068 patients (7.94%) received treatment between 61 and 180 days after diagnosis, and 866 patients (3.33%) who received treatment 181 days after diagnosis. Those treated more than 181 days and 61-180 days after diagnosis had a 1.68-fold increased risk of death (95% confidence interval: 1.50-1.88) and a 1.39-fold increased risk of death (95% confidence interval: 1.31-1.17), respectively. Being male, being elderly, having a higher CCI level, and being treated in a hospital with a low service volume were factors associated with a poorer prognosis.
Overall, this study utilized a national cohort to conclude that for early-stage liver cancer patients, a longer the time interval from diagnosis to treatment results in a lower survival rate.
Even though the increasing clinical recognition of primary aldosteronism (PA) as a public health issue, its heightened risk profiles and the availability of targeted surgical/medical treatment being ...more understood, consensus in its diagnosis and management based on medical evidence, while recognizing the constraints of our real-world clinical practice in Taiwan, has not been reached.
The Taiwan Society of Aldosteronism (TSA) Task Force acknowledges the above-mentioned issues and reached this Taiwan PA consensus at its inaugural meeting, in order to provide updated information of internationally acceptable standards, and also to incorporate our local disease characteristics into the management of PA.
When there is suspicion of PA, a plasma aldosterone to renin ratio (ARR) should be obtained initially. Patients with abnormal ARR will undergo confirmatory laboratory and image tests. Subtype classification with adrenal venous sampling (AVS) or NP-59 nuclear imaging, if AVS not available, to lateralize PA is recommended when patients are considered for adrenalectomy. The strengths and weaknesses of the currently available identification methods are discussed, focusing especially on result interpretation.
With this consensus we hope to raise more awareness of PA among medical professionals and hypertensive patients in Taiwan, and to facilitate reconciliation of better detection, identification and treatment of patients with PA.
The effects of food type, salinity and temperature on the growth performance and antioxidant status of Hippocampus reidi juveniles at 2.5 months old were evaluated in this study. Three trials were ...conducted for 56 days. Seahorses fed frozen mysid shrimp (MD) exhibited significantly higher survival, growth performance and feed efficiency compared with that of seahorses fed frozen adult Artemia (AD) or a mixture consisting of MD and AD at the ratio of 1:1 (MAD). Mortality of seahorse cultured at 30°C reached 100% at 49 days. Despite no significant difference, the survival and growth performance of seahorses were higher at 26 than 28°C. Seahorses had better growth performance at salinities of 15–20 ppt, but the survival and growth performance of seahorses were not significantly different among salinity groups. Seahorses fed MD or MAD had better antioxidant status based on the results of total phenolic content (TPC) and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity in the MD and MAD groups, and significantly higher reducing power in MD than AD. No significant difference in all antioxidant indicators was recorded in 26 and 28°C groups. TPC, DPPH radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power activity of seahorses were significantly higher at 15 and 20 ppt, and metal chelating activity of seahorses at 15 ppt was significantly higher than that of seahorses at higher salinities. Based on these results, H. reidi juvenile is recommended to be fed MD at a temperature of 26°C and salinity of 15–20 ppt.
Prepubertal boys with cancer may suffer from reduced fertility and maturity following gonadotoxic chemoradiotherapy. Thus, a viable method of immature testicular tissue (ITT) preservation is required ...in this cohort. In this study, we used poly-L-lactic acid electrospun scaffolds with two levels of fineness to support the development of ITT transplanted from transgenic donors to wild-type recipient mice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of ITT transplantation and spermatogenesis after using the two scaffolds, employing bioluminescence imaging for evaluation. The results suggest that ITT from 4-week-old mice possessed the most potential in spermatogenesis on the 70th day, together with the fine electrospun scaffolds. Moreover, bioluminescent imaging intensity was observed in recipient mice for up to 107 days, approximately six times more than the coarse electrospun scaffold and the control group. This occurs since the fine scaffold is more akin to the microenvironment of native testicular tissue as it reduces stiffness resulting from micronization and body fluid infiltration. The thermal analysis also exhibited recrystallization during the biodegradation process, which can lead to a more stable microenvironment. Overall, these findings present the prospect of fertility preservation in prepubertal males and could serve as a framework for future applications.
Effects of
Bacillus subtilis E20 isolated from fermented soybean on immune parameters and the disease resistance of the white shrimp (
Litopenaeus vannamei) after 98 days of
B. subtilis E20 feeding ...were evaluated in this study. Shrimp fed
B. subtilis E20-containing diets at concentrations of 10
6 (E206), 10
7 (E207), and 10
8 (E208)
cfu
kg
−1, respectively, had significantly increased survival rates of 13.3%, 16.7%, and 20%, compared to the control (fed no probiotic) after being challenged with
Vibrio alginolyticus. There were no significant differences in the total hemocyte count, respiratory burst, or superoxide dismutase glutathione peroxidase among all treatments. Shrimp fed a higher concentration of the probiotic (E208) exhibited significant increases in phenoloxidase activity, phagocytic activity, and clearance efficiency compared to control shrimp. In addition,
B. subtilis E20 showed a weaker inhibitory effect against the growth of
Aeromona hydrophila with around a 0.3-cm inhibitory zone, but showed no inhibitory effects against other selected pathogens, such as white shrimp pathogens:
V. alginolyticus and
Vibrio vulnificus. These results suggest that the increased resistance of shrimp after
B. subtilis E20 consumption occurs through immune modifications, such as increases in phenoloxidase activity, phagocytic activity, and clearance efficiency against
V. alginolyticus.
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