Search

Emily Martin's ("Signs J Women Cult Soc" 16(31):485-501, 1991) article, "The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Has Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles," was published in "Signs" over 20 years ago. In this groundbreaking article, she discusses how gender roles are often projected onto reproductive biology, leading to the portrayal of eggs as passive and sperm as active. We were interested in seeing if many of her findings are still relevant today. We analyzed science textbooks from the middle school to the medical school level to determine if fertilization in human reproduction is described in gender-biased language regarding the sentence structure, amount of information provided for female and male processes/parts, and neutrality in describing female and male processes/parts. Although there has been much improvement, there is still a long way to go. Sexist language in scientific textbooks is troubling because it negatively affects both female and male students and undermines teachers' ability to teach in an accurate and gender-neutral way.

Abstract Background Human Papillomavirus-32 (HPV-32) has traditionally been associated with focal-epithelial-hyperplasia (FEH). It is also present in 58% of oral warts of HIV-positive individuals whose prevalence is increasing. Current methods for the detection of HPV-32 are labor-intensive and insensitive so the goal of this work was to develop a highly sensitive and easy to use specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. Materials and methods An HPV-32 L1 specific PCR assay was developed and optimized. The sensitivity and specificity was compared to previous assays utilized for detection (PGMY and MY09/11 PCR with dot blot hybridization) using cloned HPV-32 L1, the closely related HPV-42 L1 as well as clinical samples (oral swabs and fluids from 89 HIV-positive subjects). Results The HPV-32 specific PCR assay showed improved sensitivity to 5 copies of HPV-32 as compared to the PGMY PCR, MY09/11 PCR and dot blot which had a limit of detection of approximately 3,000 copies. Using the HPV-32 dot blot hybridization assay as the gold standard, the HPV-32 specific PCR assay has a sensitivity of 95.8% and 88.9% by sample and subject, respectively, and specificity was 87.8% and 58.8% by sample and subject, respectively. The low sensitivity is due to the HPV-32 specific PCR assays ability to detect more HPV-32 positive samples and may be the new gold standard. Conclusion Due to the ease, sensitivity, and specificity the HPV-32 specific PCR assay is superior to previous assays and is ideal for detection of HPV-32 in large cohorts. This assay provides an excellent tool to study the natural history of HPV-32 infection and the development of oral warts.

Dietary indices are widely used in diet quality measurement, and the index-based dietary patterns are related to gastric cancer risk. To evaluate the relationship between different kinds of index-based dietary patterns and gastric cancer risk, we systematically searched four English-language databases and four Chinese-language databases. The quality of studies was assessed by the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Meta-analyses were performed to estimate the association between gastric cancer incidence and different types of index-based dietary patterns. The OR and hazard ratios (HR) of gastric cancer incidence were calculated by regression models in case–control studies and prospective cohort studies, respectively. The studies were pooled in the random effects model to calculate the summarised risk estimate of the highest quantile interval of dietary indices, taking the lowest as the referent. The dietary indices included different versions of Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and dietary inflammatory index (DII), healthy eating index, Chinese Food Pagoda score and food index score. The meta-analysis was carried out for studies on MDS and DII. The combined OR of gastric cancer for the highest MDS v. the referent was 0·42 (95 % CI 0·2, 0·86), and the combined HR was 0·89 (95 % CI 0·68, 1·17). The combined OR for DII was 2·11 (95 % CI 1·41, 3·15). Higher Mediterranean dietary pattern consumption might reduce gastric cancer risk, while higher inflammatory diet pattern consumption might increase gastric cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) represents a precancerous stage characterized by morphological and pathophysiological changes in the gastric mucosa, where gastric epithelial cells transform into a phenotype resembling that of intestinal cells. Previous studies have demonstrated that the intragastric administration of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) induces both gastric carcinoma and intestinal metaplasia in mice. Here, we show that MNNG induces GIM in three-dimensional (3D) mouse organoids. Our histological analyses reveal that MNNG-induced gastric organoids undergo classical morphological alterations, exhibiting a distinct up-regulation of CDX2 and MUC2, along with a down-regulation of ATP4B and MUC6. Importantly, metaplastic cells observed in MNNG-treated organoids originate from MIST1+ cells, indicating their gastric chief cell lineage. Functional analyses show that activation of the RAS signaling pathway drives MNNG-induced metaplasia in 3D organoids, mirroring the characteristics observed in human GIM. Consequently, modeling intestinal metaplasia using 3D organoids offers valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms and spatiotemporal dynamics of the gastric epithelial lineage during the development of intestinal metaplasia within the gastric mucosa. We conclude that the MNNG-induced metaplasia model utilizing 3D organoids provides a robust platform for developing preventive and therapeutic strategies to mitigate the risk of gastric cancer before precancerous lesions occur., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences.)

Background: The purpose of this research is to summarize the academic expertise of Professor Lu Zhizheng in the treatment of Chronic Atrophic Gastritis, and to explain his clinical reasoning and common prescriptions in the treatment of CAG., Methods: Professor Lu's outpatient cases of CAG from January 2008 to December 2021 were selected, and the PageRank algorithm was applied on the FangNet platform to analyze the usage frequencies of herbs, their four natures and five flavors according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, core herbs, and herb clustering patterns, with the goal of summarizing the distinguishing features of Professor Lu's academic and clinical approach to CAG. A total of 170 patients from 252 consultations were included in this study. The prescriptions involved a total of 239 herbs, which occurred a cumulative 4339 times. The herb natures were mainly warm, neutral, and slightly cold, and the herb flavors were predominantly sweet, bitter, and pungent. The channel tropism of the selected herbs primarily targeted the spleen, stomach, and lung meridians. Herb rank analysis showed that 34 herbs, including Gancao, Taizishen, Banxia, Huanglian, Shengjiang, Baizhu, Yiyiren, Maiya, Cangzhu, and Kuxingren, were the driver herbs used by Professor Lu for the treatment of CAG., Results: Herb-herb co-occurrence/exclusivity analysis revealed 10 sets of frequently used herb pairs; herb cluster analysis yielded 10 herb clusters. These results reflected the emphasis Professor Lu placed on protecting Qi and Yin while clearing damp-heat. Professor Lu Zhizheng utilized dialectics reinforced with flexible thinking in the treatment of CAG, and emphasized that identifying the pathogenesis and addressing the syndrome should be prioritized., Conclusions: The characteristic treatment strategy aimed to replenish Qi and nourish Yin, clear away damp-heat, and treat CAG patients comprehensively under the guidance of established principles.