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Background: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) stands out as the most prevalent epithelial malignant thyroid tumor. Thyroid primary follicular lymphoma (PFL) represents a rare malignant tumor originating from mesenchymal tissues. The concurrent occurrence of PTC and PFL is exceptionally rare, particularly in the context of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, presenting significant challenges in clinical diagnosis and treatment. Case demonstration: A 44-year-old female patient presented with a neck mass persisting for over 1 month. The patient underwent surgery, and the incised tissues were subjected to pathology examinations, along with immunohistochemistry and next-generation sequencing tests suggestive of an EZH2 gene mutation in the tumor cells. The final pathological diagnosis confirmed the presence of PTC combined with PFL. Following a 27-month follow-up, the patient displayed no signs of recurrence or metastasis. Conclusions: The concurrent occurrence of PTC and PFL poses notable challenges in clinical practice, requiring careful consideration in diagnosis and treatment. Herein, we present a rare case of PTC combined with PFL featuring an EZH2 gene mutation, which can be easily overlooked in the context of Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The patient's favorable response to surgical and radiotherapeutic interventions underscores the importance of accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment strategies in similar cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalpa bungei is a precious timber species distributed in North China where drought often occurs. To clarify adaptive responses of C. bungei to partial- and full- root-zone drought under the influence of nitrogen forms, a two-factor experiment was conducted in which well-watered (WW), partial root-zone drought in horizontal direction (H-PRD) and in vertical direction (V-PRD), and full root-zone drought (FRD) were combined with nitrate-nitrogen (NN) and ammonium-nitrogen (AN) treatments. C. bungei responded to FRD by sharply closing stomata, decreasing gas exchange rate and increasing leaf instantaneous water use efficiency (WUEi). Under FRD condition, the growth of seedlings was severely inhibited and the effect of N forms was covered up by the drastic drought effect. In comparison, stomata conductance and gas exchanges were moderately inhibited by PRDs. WUEi in V-PRD treatment was superior to H-PRD due to the active stomata regulation resulting from a higher ABA level and active transcription of genes in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway under V-PRD. Under both PRDs and FRD, nitrate benefited antioxidant defense, stomata regulation and leaf WUEi. Under V-PRD, WUEi in nitrate treatment was superior to that in ammonium treatment due to active stomata regulation by signaling network of nitric oxide (NO), Ca2+ and ABA. Under FRD, WUEi was higher in nitrate treatment due to the favoring photosynthetic efficiency resulting from active NO signal and antioxidant defense. The interactive effect of water and N forms was significant on wood xylem development. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) largely contributes to stress tolerance and xylem development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mycobacterium haemophilum is a slow-growing non-chromogenic nontuberculous Mycobacterium species that can cause skin infection or arthritis in an immunocompromised population or in children. Primary infection of the healthy adult cornea is rare. The special requirements for culture make this pathogen difficult to diagnose. The study aims to report the clinical manifestation and treatment process of corneal infection and notify the awareness of M. Haemophilus keratitis among clinicians. This is the first case report of primary M. haemophilum infection in the cornea of healthy adults reported in the literature. Case presentation: A 53-year-old healthy goldminer presented with left eye redness and a history of vision loss for four months. The patient was misdiagnosed with herpes simplex keratitis until M. haemophilum was detected using high-throughput sequencing. Penetrating keratoplasty was performed, and a large number of mycobacteria were detected by Ziehl-Neelsen staining of the infected tissue. Three months later, the patient developed conjunctival and eyelid skin infections that manifested as caseous necrosis of the conjunctiva and skin nodules. After excision and debridement of the conjunctival lesions and systemic antituberculosis drug treatment for 10 months, the patient was cured. Conclusion: M. haemophilum could cause primary corneal infection in healthy adults, which is an infrequent or rare infection. Owing to the need for special bacterial culture conditions, conventional culture methods do not provide positive results. High-throughput sequencing can rapidly identify the presence of bacteria, which aids in early diagnosis and timely treatment. Prompt surgical intervention is an effective treatment option for severe keratitis. Long-term systemic antimicrobial therapy is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study inventively combines epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression of the primary lesion and standardized uptake value (SUV) of positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) to predict the prognosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). This study aimed to evaluate the predictive efficacy of maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) and EGFR for treatment failure in patients with NPC. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed the results of EGFR expression and pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT of 313 patients with NPC. Time-dependent receiver operator characteristics was used for analyzing results and selecting the optimal cutoff values. Cox regression was used to screen out multiple risk factors. Cumulative survival rate was calculated by Kaplan–Meier. Results: The selected cutoff value of SUVmax-T was 8.5. The patients were categorized into four groups according to EGFR expression and SUVmax-T. There were significant differences in the 3-year local recurrence-free survival (LRFS) (p = 0.0083), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) (p = 0.0077), distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) (p = 0.013), and progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.0018) among the four groups. Patients in the EGFR-positive and SUVmax-T > 8.5 group had the worst survival, while patients in the EGFR-negative and SUVmax-T ≤ 8.5 group had the best prognosis. Subsequently, patients with only positive EGFR expression or high SUVmax-T were classified as the middle-risk group. There were also a significant difference in 3-year overall survival among the three risk groups (p = 0.034). SUVmax-T was associated with regional recurrence-free survival and LRRFS in multivariate analysis, whereas EGFR was an independent prognostic factor for LRRFS, DMFS, and PFS. Conclusion: The combination of SUVmax-T and EGFR expression can refine prognosis and indicate clinical therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess whether the high metabolic region of fluorine-18-fluorode-oxyglucose (18F-FDG) in the primary lesion is the crux for recurrence in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), to assess the feasibility and rationale for use of biological target volume (BTV) based on 18F-FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT). Methods: The retrospective study included 33 patients with NPC who underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT at the time of initial diagnosis as well as the time of diagnosis of local recurrence. Paired 18F-FDG-PET/CT images for primary and recurrent lesion were matched by deformation coregistration method to determine the cross-failure rate between two lesions. Results: The median volume of the Vpri (primary tumor volume using the SUV thresholds of 2.5), the Vhigh (the volume of high FDG uptake using the SUV50%max isocontour), and the Vrecur (the recurrent tumor volume using the SUV thresholds of 2.5) were 22.85, 5.57, and 9.98 cm3, respectively. The cross-failure rate of Vrecur∩high showed that 82.82% (27/33) of local recurrent lesions had < 50% overlap volume with the region of high FDG uptake. The cross-failure rate of Vrecur∩pri showed that 96.97% (32/33) of local recurrent lesions had > 20% overlap volume with the primary tumor lesions and the median cross rate was up to 71.74%. Conclusion: 18F-FDG-PET/CT may be a powerful tool for automatic target volume delineation, but it may not be the optimal imaging modality for dose escalation radiotherapy based on applicable isocontour. The combination of other functional imaging could delineate the BTV more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is globally the sixth most common cancer. TGF-β1 is a key regulator of cell proliferation and differentiation, and it induces the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) by activating Smad2 signaling in SCCHN cells. Previous studies have revealed that oleuropein (OL) can inhibit the EMT alterations and migration of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to examine the involvement of TGF-β1 signaling pathway in SCCHN and the effect of OL on it.Methods: Through in vitro experiments at cellular level and in vivo evaluation in mouse xenograft tumor model, with morphological and Western blotting assays, we examined the effects of OL on TGF-β1-mediated signaling pathway in Tu686, CAL-27 and 686LN-M2 tumor cell lines.Results: We found that OL reversed the TGF-β1-induced EMT, and changed the morphology of cells and the expression levels of epithelial and interstitial markers. Wound-healing and transwell invasion assays indicated that OL reversed the TGF-β1-promoted cell migration and invasion dramatically. The effects of OL were also verified in xenograft tumor model of mice, and the findings were identical to the in vitro assays.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that OL inhibits the growth and metastasis of SCCHN by interfering with the TGF-β1 signaling pathway, and the findings are beneficial for the development of prevention and treatment strategy of SCCHN. Due to the low toxicity and less side effects, OL may be of potential value in the inhibition of metastasis of SCCHN and improve survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: To identify the subset of patients with de novo nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) for whom [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) should be recommended, and to determine whether PET/CT is a cost-effective decision for precise M staging in endemic areas.Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of data of 4469 patients diagnosed with de novo NPC between January 2014 and December 2019. The detection rate of distant metastasis was compared between different groups. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factors for distant metastasis. The cost-effectiveness of the diagnostic strategies was assessed.Results: The detection rate of distant metastasis in the whole cohort was 5.46%. In multivariate analysis, male sex, T3-4 stage, N2-3 stage, and high plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA (≥ 14,650 copies/mL) were risk factors for distant metastases. NPC patients with T3-4 stage combined with N2-3 stage, high EBV DNA combined with male sex, or N2-3 stage combined with high EBV DNA were defined as recommended group with relatively higher tendency for metastasis. Distant metastasis incidence in recommended group and unrecommended group were 10.25% and 1.75%, respectively (P < 0.001). In the recommended group, PET/CT significantly improved the detection rate of distant metastasis (13.25% vs 9.02%, P = 0.005). Cost-effectiveness analysis revealed that additional cost for every one percent increase in distant metastasis detection rate was $22,785.58 in the recommended group (< Willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $32,700.00) and $310,912.90 in the unrecommended group.Conclusions: In patients with de novo NPC, the tendency for metastasis can be predicted based on clinical parameters. 18F-FDG PET/CT should be selectively recommended for the subset of patients with a relatively higher tendency for metastasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fibrosis is a significant pathological feature of chronic skeletal muscle injury, profoundly affecting muscle regeneration. Fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) have the ability to differentiate into myofibroblasts, acting as a primary source of extracellular matrix (ECM). the process by which FAPs differentiate into myofibroblasts during chronic skeletal muscle injury remains inadequately explored. Method: mouse model with sciatic nerve denervated was constructed and miRNA expression profiles between the mouse model and uninjured mouse were analyzed. qRT/PCR and immunofluorescence elucidated the effect of miR-27b-3p on fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. Dual-luciferase reporter identified the target gene of miR-27b-3p, and finally knocked down or overexpressed the target gene and phosphorylation inhibition of Smad verified the influence of downstream molecules on the abundance of miR-27b-3p and fibrogenic differentiation of FAPs. Result: FAPs derived from a mouse model with sciatic nerves denervated exhibited a progressively worsening fibrotic phenotype over time. Introducing agomiR-27b-3p effectively suppressed fibrosis both in vitro and in vivo. MiR-27b-3p targeted Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor 1 (TGF-βR1) and the abundance of miR-27b-3p was negatively regulated by TGF-βR1/Smad. Conclusion: miR-27b-3p targeting the TGF-βR1/Smad pathway is a novel mechanism for regulating fibrogenic differentiation of FAPs. Increasing abundance of miR-27b-3p, suppressing expression of TGF-βR1 and inhibiting phosphorylation of smad3 presented potential strategies for treating fibrosis in chronic skeletal muscle injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the main risk factors for metachronous metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in different periods after radiotherapy and estimate the weight of various factors in the early or late metachronous metastasis (EMM/LMM) groups. Methods: This retrospective registry consists of 4434 patients with newly diagnosed NPC. Cox regression analysis was used to assess the independent significance of various risk factors. The Interactive Risk Attributable Program (IRAP) was used to calculate the attributable risks (ARs) for metastatic patients during different periods. Results: Among 514 metastatic patients, 346 (67.32%) patients diagnosed with metastasis within 2 years after treatment were classified into the EMM group, while other 168 patients were classified into the LMM group. The ARs of T-stage, N-stage, pre-Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA, post-EBV DNA, age, sex, pre-neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, pre-platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, pre-hemoglobin (HB), and post-HB were 20.19, 67.25, 2.81, 14.28, 18.50, - 11.17%, 14.54, 9.60, 3.74% and - 9.79%, respectively, in the EMM group. In the LMM group, the corresponding ARs were 3.68, 49.11, - 18.04%, 2.19, 6.11, 0.36, 4.62, 19.77, 9.57 and 7.76%, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, the total AR for tumor-related factors was 78.19%, and that for patient-related factors was 26.07% in the EMM group. In the LMM group, the total AR of tumor-related factors was 43.85%, while the weights of patient-related factors was 39.97%. In addition, except for these identified tumor- and patient-related factors, other unevaluated factors played a more important role in patients with late metastasis, with the weight increasing by 15.77%, from 17.76% in the EMM group to 33.53% in the LMM group. Conclusion: Most metachronous metastatic NPC cases occurred in the first 2 years after treatment. Early metastasis was mainly affected by tumor-related factors, which accounted for a declining percentage in the LMM group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To rethink the clinical significance of standardized uptake values (SUVs) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET).Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 369 NPC patients who underwent pretreatment 18F-FDG PET. The predictive value of the SUVmax of the primary tumor (SUVmax-t) and regional lymph nodes (SUVmax-n) was evaluated using probability density functions. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine optimal cutoffs for the SUVmax-n/SUVmax-t ratio (NTR). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess survival.Results: The optimal SUVmax-t and SUVmax-n cutoffs were 7.5 and 6.9, respectively. High SUVmax-t and SUVmax-n were related to local and regional recurrence, respectively. Patients with low SUVmax had better 3-year overall survival (OS). To avoid cross-sensitization of cutoff points, we stratified patients with high SUVmax into the low and high NTR groups. The 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; 92.3 vs. 80.6%, P = 0.009), progression-free survival (PFS; 84.0 vs. 67.7%, P = 0.011), and OS (95.9 vs. 89.2%, P = 0.002) significantly differed between the high vs. low NTR groups for patients with high SUVmax. Multivariable analysis showed that NTR was an independent prognostic factor for DMFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.037, 95% CI: 1.039-3.992, P = 0.038), PFS (HR: 1.636, 95% CI: 1.021-2.621, P = 0.041), and OS (HR: 2.543, 95% CI: 1.214-5.325, P = 0.013).Conclusion: High SUVmax was associated with NPC recurrence. NTR is a potential prognosticator for DMFS, suggesting that heterogeneity in the pretreatment 18F-FDG uptake between the primary tumor and lymph nodes is associated with high invasion and metastatic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Objectively measured differences in physical activity (PA) and sleep have been documented among people with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to non-arthritic controls. However, it is not clear whether OA and RA subgroups also differ on these indexes or the extent to which distinct arthritis subgroups versus controls can be accurately identified on the basis of objective PA and sleep indexes compared to self-report responses on questionnaires. This study addressed these gaps.Methods: This case-control study comprised Chinese adults with OA (N = 40) or RA (N = 40) diagnoses based on physician assessments as well as a control group of adults without chronic pain (N = 40). All participants wore a Sensewear Armband (SWA) for consecutive 7 days and completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form-Chinese as well as Pittsburgh Sleep Diary to obtain objective and subjective PA and sleep data, respectively.Results: There were no differences between the three groups on any self-report indexes of PA or sleep. Conversely, OA and RA subgroups displayed significantly lower PA levels and more sleep problems than controls did on a majority of SWA indexes, though arthritis subgroups were not differentiated from one another on these measures. Logistic regression analyses indicated four non-multicollinear SWA indexes (i.e., steps, active energy expenditure, vigorous activity, time awake after sleep onset) correctly identified the subgroup membership of 75.0-82.5% of participants with RA or OA while classification accuracy results were attenuated for controls.Conclusions: Where possible, objective measures should be used to assess PA and sleep of adults with OA and RA while particular self-report PA questionnaires should be used sparingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To rethink the clinical significance of standardized uptake values (SUVs) of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET). Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 369 NPC patients who underwent pretreatment 18F-FDG PET. The predictive value of the SUVmax of the primary tumor (SUVmax-t) and regional lymph nodes (SUVmax-n) was evaluated using probability density functions. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to determine optimal cutoffs for the SUVmax-n/SUVmax-t ratio (NTR). Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to assess survival. Results: The optimal SUVmax-t and SUVmax-n cutoffs were 7.5 and 6.9, respectively. High SUVmax-t and SUVmax-n were related to local and regional recurrence, respectively. Patients with low SUVmax had better 3-year overall survival (OS). To avoid cross-sensitization of cutoff points, we stratified patients with high SUVmax into the low and high NTR groups. The 3-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS; 92.3 vs. 80.6%, P = 0.009), progression-free survival (PFS; 84.0 vs. 67.7%, P = 0.011), and OS (95.9 vs. 89.2%, P = 0.002) significantly differed between the high vs. low NTR groups for patients with high SUVmax. Multivariable analysis showed that NTR was an independent prognostic factor for DMFS (hazard ratio [HR]: 2.037, 95% CI: 1.039–3.992, P = 0.038), PFS (HR: 1.636, 95% CI: 1.021–2.621, P = 0.041), and OS (HR: 2.543, 95% CI: 1.214–5.325, P = 0.013). Conclusion: High SUVmax was associated with NPC recurrence. NTR is a potential prognosticator for DMFS, suggesting that heterogeneity in the pretreatment 18F-FDG uptake between the primary tumor and lymph nodes is associated with high invasion and metastatic potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulimia, which means a person has episodes of eating a very large amount of food (bingeing) during which the person feels a loss of control over their eating, is the most primitive reason for being overweight and obese. The extended literature has indicated that childhood emotional abuse has a close relationship with adverse mood states, bulimia, and obesity. To comprehensively understand the potential links among these factors, we evaluated a multiple mediation model in which anxiety/depression and bulimia were mediators between childhood emotional abuse and body mass index (BMI). A set of self-report questionnaires, including the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), was sent out. Clinical data from 37 obese patients (age: 29.65 ± 5.35, body mass index (BMI): 37.59 ± 6.34) and 37 demographically well-matched healthy people with normal body weight (age: 31.35 ± 10.84, BMI: 22.16 ± 3.69) were included in the investigation. We first performed an independent t-test to compare all scales or subscale scores between the two groups. Then, we conducted Pearson correlation analysis to test every two variables' pairwise correlation. Finally, multiple mediation analysis was performed with BMI as the outcome variable, and childhood emotional abuse as the predictive variable. Pairs of anxiety, bulimia, and depression, bulimia were selected as the mediating variables in different multiple mediation models separately. The results show that the obese group reported higher childhood emotional abuse (t = 2.157, p = 0.034), worse mood state (anxiety: t = 5.466, p < 0.001; depression: t = 2.220, p = 0.030), and higher bulimia (t = 3.400, p = 0.001) than the healthy control group. Positive correlations were found in every pairwise combination of BMI, childhood emotional abuse, anxiety, and bulimia. Multiple mediation analyses indicate that childhood emotional abuse is positively linked to BMI (β = 1.312, 95% CI = 0.482–2.141). The model using anxiety and bulimia as the multiple mediating variables is attested to play roles in the relationship between childhood emotional abuse and obesity (indirect effect = 0.739, 95% CI = 0.261–1.608, 56.33% of the total effect). These findings confirm that childhood emotional abuse contributes to adulthood obesity through the multiple mediating effects of anxiety and bulimia. The present study adds another potential model to facilitate our understanding of the eating psychopathology of obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in the regulation of progression and drug resistance in ovarian cancer (OC). In the present study, we aimed to explore the role of circRAD23B, a newly identified circRNA, in the regulation of carboplatin-resistant OC. Methods: CircRAD23B expression levels were measured using qRT-PCR. The biological roles of circRAD23B were analysed using CCK-8, colony formation, EDU, flow cytometry, and cell viability assays. RNA pull-down and luciferase assays were used to investigate the interactions of circRAD23B with mRNAs and miRNAs. Results: CircRAD23B was significantly increased in carboplatin-resistant OC tissues. CircRAD23B promoted proliferation and reduced sensitivity to carboplatin in cell lines and patient-derived organoids (PDOs), consistent with in vivo findings. Mechanistically, circRAD23B acted as a molecular sponge, abrogating its inhibitory effect on Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1) by adsorbing miR-1287-5p. Rescue experiments confirmed that the pro-proliferation and carboplatin resistance mediated by circRAD23B was partially reversed by the upregulation of miR-1287-5p. Conclusions: Our results demonstrated, for the first time, the role of the circRAD23B/miR-1287-5p/YBX1 axis in OC progression and carboplatin resistance in cell lines, PDOs, and animal models, providing a basis for the development of targeted therapies for patients with OC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a core member of the FA complex, in the Fanconi anemia pathway, FAAP24 plays an important role in DNA damage repair. However, the association between FAAP24 and patient prognosis in AML and immune infiltration remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to explore its expression characteristics, immune infiltration pattern, prognostic value and biological function using TCGA-AML and to verify it in the Beat AML cohort. Methods: In this study, we examined the expression and prognostic value of FAAP24 across cancers using data from TCGA, TARGET, GTEx, and GEPIA2. To further investigate the prognosis in AML, development and validation of a nomogram containing FAAP24 were performed. GO/KEGG, ssGSEA, GSVA and xCell were utilized to explore the functional enrichment and immunological features of FAAP24 in AML. Drug sensitivity analysis used data from the CellMiner website, and the results were confirmed in vitro. Results: Integrated analysis of the TCGA, TARGET and GTEx databases showed that FAAP24 is upregulated in AML; meanwhile, high FAAP24 expression was associated with poor prognosis according to GEPIA2. Gene set enrichment analysis revealed that FAAP24 is implicated in pathways involved in DNA damage repair, the cell cycle and cancer. Components of the immune microenvironment using xCell indicate that FAAP24 shapes an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) in AML, which helps to promote AML progression. Drug sensitivity analysis showed a significant correlation between high FAAP24 expression and chelerythrine resistance. In conclusion, FAAP24 could serve as a novel prognostic biomarker and play an immunomodulatory role in AML. Conclusions: In summary, FAAP24 is a promising prognostic biomarker in AML that requires further exploration and confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With breast cancer becoming the most diagnosed cancer in the world, the number of breast cancer-afflicted mothers with adolescent daughters is also rising. Further, adolescent daughters' mothers serve as role models for in identity formation processes, especially concerning gender and sexuality. Nevertheless, breast cancer threats mother's health, including such a key symbol of her womanhood-the breast-which may adversely affect the development of an adolescent daughter's own sense of personal identity and womanhood. However, few researchers and practitioners have paid attention to mother-daughter interactions in the context of breast cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to uncover the nuances of the interactive challenges with adolescent daughters from breast cancer-afflicted mothers' perspective.Methods: We conducted a qualitative study following the sample saturation principle, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with 21 breast cancer patients who met the inclusion criteria. We utilized thematic analysis and partially integrated the Foucauldian discourse approach to analyze the data.Results: Three major themes emerged from the data: (1) mothers are lost in chaos (inability to handle the shock of cancer, feelings of powerlessness about the uncertainty of their life span, and confusion about how to respond to daughter's curiosity); (2) mothers struggle to maintain balance (torn between protecting daughters and letting them be independent, and making a tough choice between being a mother or a patient); and (3) mothers are immersed in guilt (increasing daughters' risk of cancer, influencing daughters' development, and imposing burdens on daughters).Conclusions: Our research explored the interactive experience of breast cancer-afflicted mothers and adolescent daughters. The insights uncovered by this study will help mothers enhance interaction with their daughters and assist health practitioners in devising interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The adaption of brain region is fundamental to the development and maintenance of nervous system disorders. The prelimbic cortex (PrL) participates in the affective components of the pain sensation. However, whether and how the adaptation of PrL contributes to the comorbidity of neuropathic pain and depression are unknown.Methods: Using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI), genetic knockdown or overexpression, we systematically investigated the activity of PrL region in the pathogenesis of neuropathic pain/depression comorbid using the combined approaches of immunohistochemistry, electrophysiology, and behavior.Results: The activity of PrL and the excitability of pyramidal neurons were decreased, and the osteoclastic tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5 (Acp5) expression in PrL neurons was upregulated following the acquisition of spared nerve injury (SNI)-induced comorbidity. Genetic knockdown of Acp5 in pyramidal neurons, but not parvalbumin (PV) neurons or somatostatin (SST) neurons, attenuated the decrease of spike number, depression-like behavior and mechanical allodynia in comorbidity rats. Overexpression of Acp5 in PrL pyramidal neurons decreased the spike number and induced the comorbid-like behavior in naïve rats. Moreover, the expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6), phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) and acetylated histone H3 (Ac-H3) were significantly increased following the acquisition of comorbidity in rats. Increased binding of STAT3 to the Acp5 gene promoter and the interaction between STAT3 and p300 enhanced acetylation of histone H3 and facilitated the transcription of Acp5 in PrL in the modeled rodents. Inhibition of IL-6/STAT3 pathway prevented the Acp5 upregulation and attenuated the comorbid-like behaviors in rats.Conclusions: These data suggest that the adaptation of PrL mediated by IL-6/STAT3/Acp5 pathway contributed to the comorbidity of neuropathic pain/depression induced by SNI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is considered to be one of the most challenging complications of joint replacement, which remains unpredictable. As a simple and emerging biomarker, calprotectin (CLP) has been considered to be useful in ruling out PJI in recent years. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy and sensitivity of CLP in the diagnosis of PJI. Methods: We searched and screened the publications from PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from database establishment to June 2021. Subsequently, Stata version 16.0 software was used to combine the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), operating characteristic curve, and area under the curve (AUC). Heterogeneity across articles was evaluated by the I2 statistics. Finally, sources of heterogeneity were detected by subgroup analysis based on study design, detection method, sample size, and cutoff values. Results: A total of 7 studies were included in our study, comprising 525 patients. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, and NLR of CLP for PJI diagnosis were 0.94(95% CI 0.87–0.98), 0.93(95% CI 0.87–0.96), 13.65(95% CI 6.89–27.08), and 0.06(95% CI 0.02–0.15), respectively, while the DOR and AUC were 222.33(95% CI 52.52–941.11) and 0.98 (95% CI 0.96–0.99), respectively. Conclusion: Synovial CLP is a reliable biomarker and can be used as a diagnostic criterion for PJI in the future. However, the uncertainty resulting from the poor study numbers and sample sizes limit our ability to definitely draw conclusions on the basis of our study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge about the 1-year outcome of COVID-19 is limited. The aim of this study was to follow-up and evaluate lung abnormalities on serial computed tomography (CT) scans in patients with COVID-19 after hospital discharge.Methods: A prospective cohort study of patients with COVID-19 from the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine was conducted, with assessments of chest CT during hospitalization and at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after hospital discharge. Risk factors of residual CT opacities and the influence of residual CT abnormalities on pulmonary functions at 1 year were also evaluated.Results: A total of 41 patients were followed in this study. Gradual recovery after hospital discharge was confirmed by the serial CT scores. Around 47% of the patients showed residual aberration on pulmonary CT with a median CT score of 0 (interquartile range (IQR) of 0-2) at 1 year after discharge, with ground-glass opacity (GGO) with reticular pattern as the major radiologic pattern. Patients with residual radiological abnormalities were older (p = 0.01), with higher rate in current smokers (p = 0.04), higher rate in hypertensives (p = 0.05), lower SaO2 (p = 0.004), and higher prevalence of secondary bacterial infections during acute phase (p = 0.02). Multiple logistic regression analyses indicated that age was a risk factor associated with residual radiological abnormalities (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.01-1.15, p = 0.02). Pulmonary functions of total lung capacity (p = 0.008) and residual volume (p < 0.001) were reduced in patients with residual CT abnormalities and were negatively correlated with CT scores.Conclusion: During 1-year follow-up after discharge, COVID-19 survivors showed continuous improvement on chest CT. However, residual lesions could still be observed and correlated with lung volume parameters. The risk of developing residual CT opacities increases with age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]