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"Lin, Yang-Sheng"
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Impact of direct-acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C–related hepatocellular carcinoma
With the introduction of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) agents, hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment has dramatically improved. However, there are insufficient data on the benefits of DAA therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the outcome of patients who received DAA therapy after HCC treatment. We retrospectively reviewed patients with HCV-related HCC in a single medical center, and the outcome of patients with or without DAA therapy was analyzed. In total, 107 HCC patients were enrolled, of whom 60 had received DAA therapy after treatment for HCC. There were no significant intergroup differences in age, sex, laboratory results, or tumor burden. A more advanced stage was noted in the no DAA group (P = 0.003). In the treatment modality, sorafenib was commonly prescribed in the no DAA group (P = 0.007). The DAA group had a longer overall survival (OS) time than the no DAA group (P<0.001). When stratified by Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging, the DAA group had better OS in the HCC stages 0-A and B-C (P = 0.034 and P = 0.006). There were 35 patients who received DAA therapy after curative HCC therapy. At a median follow-up of 20 months, 37.1% patients had HCC recurrence after DAA therapy. There was no statistical difference in recurrence-free survival between patients receiving and those not receiving DAA (P = 0.278). DAA therapy improved the survival outcome of HCC patients and did not increase recurrent HCC after curative therapy. .
Journal Article
Zinc supplementation in patients with cirrhosis and hepatic encephalopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background
Low serum zinc level is associated with hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but the efficacy of zinc supplementation remains uncertain. This study aimed to investigate the effects of zinc supplementation on HE treatment in patients with cirrhosis.
Methods
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (Cochrane CENTRAL) and Scopus from inception to December 2018; without publication date or language restrictions. Randomized controlled trials of zinc supplementation versus placebo or other treatment for the management of HE in adult patients with cirrhosis were selected. The primary outcome was the degree of HE as assessed by clinical signs or specialized psychometric tests. The secondary outcomes included serum ammonia levels, adverse events, or the length of hospital stay and costs. We carried out a meta-analysis with random effects model and summarized continuous outcomes using standardized mean differences (SMD) or mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool, and the certainty of evidence for each outcome was evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.
Results
Four trials with 247 patients were included. In patients with cirrhosis who had mild HE (≤ grade II), the available evidence suggested that the combination treatment of zinc supplementation and lactulose over 3 to 6 months significantly improved performance in the number connection test (SMD: -0.97; 95% CI: − 1.75 to − 0.19;
P
= 0.01; moderate certainty), reported in three trials (
n
= 227). However, compared with lactulose therapy alone, additional zinc supplementation demonstrated no significant difference in the digit symbol test (SMD: 0.44; 95% CI: − 0.12 to 1.00;
P
= 0.12; very low certainty) or serum ammonia levels (MD: -10.86; 95% CI: − 25.73 to 4.01;
P
= 0.15; very low certainty), reported in two trials (
n
= 137). None of the included trials reported adverse events or effects on hospitalization.
Conclusions
In conclusion, a combination of zinc supplementation and lactulose over 3 to 6 months may improve the number connection test in cirrhotic patients with low grade HE, compared with lactulose only.
Trial registration
PROSPERO:
CRD42017080955
. Registered 23 November 2017
Journal Article
Prevalence of Suicide Attempts among College Students in China: A Meta-Analysis
Suicide is the leading cause of death among 15-34 year olds in China, but no national data are available on the suicide and suicide attempts rates of college students, a sub-group of youth with 23 million. Several studies have reported the prevalence of suicide attempts among college students, however, no meta-analysis pooling the prevalence of suicide attempts is found.
This study aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of suicide attempts among college students in China. The relevant studies up to August 2014 were systematically searched via electronic databases (PubMed-Medline, Embase, Chinese Wanfang database, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure and Chinese VIP database). We only selected original articles that either reported the prevalence of suicide attempts or sufficient data for calculating the prevalence.
A total of 29 eligible studies, with 88,225 college students, were finally included. The maximum and minimum reported prevalences of suicide attempts among college students in China were 0.4% and 10.5%, respectively. The pooled prevalence of suicide attempts was 2.8% (95%CI: 2.3%-3.3%). Subgroup analyses showed that the pooled estimate of prevalence of life time suicide attempts was 2.7% (95%CI: 2.1%-3.3%), and 12-month suicide attempts was 2.9% (95%CI: 2.0%-3.8%). The prevalence for males was 2.4% (95%CI: 1.8%-3.0%), and for females was 2.7% (95%CI: 1.9%-3.7%). The prevalences among college students in grade 1 through 4 were 2.8% (95%CI: 1.7%-3.8%), 1.8% (95%CI: 1.2%-2.3%), 2.0% (95%CI: 0.8%-3.1%), and 2.9% (95%CI: 0.1%-6.7%), respectively. The prevalences among college students from rural and urban areas were 5.1% (95%CI: 2.8%-7.5%) and 3.7% (95%CI: 1.4%-5.9%), respectively.
2.8% prevalence of suicide attempts and more than 600,000 suicide attempters among college students indicate that suicide attempt among college students is an important public health problem in China. More attention should be paid to the current situation.
Journal Article
Bioaccumulation and translocation of trace elements in soil-irrigation water-wheat in arid agricultural areas of Xin Jiang, China
Pollution resulting from toxic trace elements is an increasing concern around the world especially in developing countries such as China. Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation and agricultural development are the dominant sources of anthropogenic contamination contributed to an increased potential toxicity of trace elements in the irrigation water–soil–food chain. Xin Jiang in China is a reserved cultivated land development area that could provide the most extensive strategic support for food production and arable land security in China. Thus, it is crucial to investigate the bioaccumulation and translocation of trace elements in order to assess the ecological and human health risks in the traditional oasis system of the agricultural areas in Bay Cheng County, Xin Jiang. This study analysed the levels of trace elements in different layers of the soil, the irrigation water and the wheat plants, and the relationships among them. The results indicated that cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) were the primary pollutants in soils and wheats respectively, and they fell into the serious pollution category. However, no trace elements over the pollution limits were detected in irrigation water. The maximum values of trace elements appeared in the soil layers at 5–10 cm and 10–15 cm. The pollution levels of trace elements in the soil layers were found at 0–5 cm and 0–20 cm, which were higher than those at 20–80 cm. In wheat, high amounts of absorption for Se, Cr, Zn and Cu, but low for Pb were detected in different parts of a plant. The roots of wheats were more eco-toxic to Cd, Co and Pb than other tissues, indicating that roots were more effective at absorbing Cd, Co and Pb, as these metals are usually toxic in the soil. Se, Cu and Zn showed a higher ability of being transferred from soils to the edible parts of crops. The bio-transfer factors of Zn, Mo, Cu, Mg and Mn were considerably higher than those of other elements. The average cancer risk of As, Cd, Co, Ni and TCR in wheat grains exceeded the safety reference limit (1 × 10−4). For the exposed population, Cr in wheat was the major contributor to total cancer risk. The average values of HQ of Cr, Mn and As, and total non-cancer risk index exceeded the corresponding effective safe reference doses (HQ > 1).
Journal Article
Oncologic feasibility for negative pressure wound therapy application in surgical wounds: A meta‐analysis
Negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) decreases postoperative complications of various surgeries. However, the use of NPWT for oncological surgical wounds remains controversial. To evaluate the association of NPWT with oncologic recurrence in surgical wounds without residual malignancy, we analysed studies that compared NPWT with conventional non‐pressure dressings for cancer surgical wounds without residual tumour by August 12, 2020. We compared tumour recurrence rates and postoperative complications between the two procedures. The six studies included 118 patients who received NPWT, and 149 patients who received conventional non‐pressure wound care. The overall quality of the included studies was high based on the Newcastle–Ottawa scale score of 7.5. Tumour recurrence after NPWT was not significantly different compared with conventional non‐negative pressure wound care (9.3% versus 11.4%, P = 0.40). There was no significant heterogeneity between the studies (I2 = 3%). Although NTWT was associated with a lower complication rate compared with the control group, the result was non‐significant (P = 0.15). Application of NPWT in oncologic resection wounds without residual malignancy revealed no difference in local recurrence and may reduce the risk of postoperative complications compared with conventional non‐negative pressure dressings. NPWT can be considered an alternative method for reconstruction in challenging cases.
Journal Article
The association of marital status with cognitive function and the role of gender in Chinese community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study
BackgroundEvidence of the association between marital status and cognitive function in Chinese older adults is limited.AimsTo examine the relationship between marital status and cognitive function and to explore the role of gender amongst older adults from three Chinese communities.MethodsA total of 1376 participants aged 60 years or over were included in this cross-sectional study. Cognitive function was assessed using the Chinese version of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). Marital status and other variables were collected using a standardized questionnaire. Multiple linear regression models were used to examine associations between marital statuses and cognitive function amongst the target population. The moderating role of gender in these potential associations has also been explored.ResultsIn univariate linear regression models, compared to being married, both being widowed (β [95% CI]: −1.46[−2.78 to − 0.13]) and being single (β [95% CI]: − 4.88[−6.43 to − 3.38]) were associated with lower MMSE scores. After adjustment for confounding factors, the significant association of being widowed with MMSE scores disappeared (β [95% CI: − 0.08[− 1.04 to 0.86]), but the association of being single with MMSE scores still existed (β [95% CI]: − 1.87[− 3.17 to − 0.58]). Furthermore, the association of being single with MMSE scores was statistically significant in men (β [95% CI]: − 5.25[− 7.17 to − 3.33]) but not in women (β [95% CI: 0.88[− 0.87 to 2.64]).Discussion and conclusionsBeing single was associated with poorer cognitive function compared with their married counterparts in older Chinese men but not in women. More preventive measurements should be implemented for single men to reduce or delay cognitive decline. This is particularly important in the context of an aging population in China.
Journal Article
Ecological and health risk assessment of trace elements in surface soil in an arid region of Xin Jiang, China
PurposeTrace element pollution in soil has become an increasingly common issue and potentially harms the environment and human health. In this study, the contamination levels and ecological and health risk indices of trace elements in surface soils in Bai Cheng, Xin Jiang, were investigated in order to examine if the land usage changed from pasture to agriculture has influenced the behaviours of these trace elements.Material and methodsIn this study, descriptive analysis, normality test, the Tukey-HSD method and non-parametric methods were used to investigate the characteristics of trace elements. The geo-accumulation pollution and ecological risk indices were used to analyse the degree of contamination by trace elements. Correlation and principle analyses were used to identify the sources of trace elements and a health risk assessment was used to analyse human exposure to trace elements of the soil.Results and discussionCadmium was the main pollutant in the 0–5 cm soil layer in both agricultural and pastoral areas. Thus, it contributed most to the Geo-Accumulation Index (Igeo) and the comprehensive potential ecological risk index (RI) of the surface soils. The levels of RI for the topsoil layer of agricultural areas fell into moderate to high (II-III) ecological risk categories, and those of pastoral areas belonged to low to moderate risk categories (I-II). Both values of Igeo and RI of the surface soils in agricultural areas were higher than in pastoral areas. The carcinogenic risk of Cr through hand-to-mouth intake and the total risk of trace elements in soils for humans were higher than the safety reference level. Chromium was the greatest contributor to total carcinogenic risk.ConclusionsTrace element concentration levels in surface soils in pastoral areas were relevant to geochemical characteristics and atmospheric deposition, whereas trace element concentration levels in surface soils in agricultural areas were derived not only from geochemical characteristics but also from human activities. The change in land use from pasture to agriculture increased the trace element concentration level in surface soils. There were both ecological risks and human health implications for residents exposed to such contaminants of soils in the studied region.
Journal Article
Effect of sea buckthorn extract on production performance, serum biochemical indexes, egg quality, and cholesterol deposition of laying ducks
The purpose of this experiment was to study the effect of sea buckthorn extract (SBE) supplementation on the production performance, serum biochemical indexes, egg quality, and cholesterol deposition of laying ducks. A total of 240 23-week-old laying ducks (female ducks) with similar body weight were randomly divided into four treatment groups with 6 replicates of 10 each. The experimental groups were fed diets supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg of SBE, respectively. The results showed that the addition of 1.0 g/kg SBE to the diet had significant increase ( P < 0.05) in average egg weight and feed conversion ratio. The inclusion of SBE showed the significant improvement ( P < 0.05) in yolk weight, shell strength, egg white height and haugh unit. Ducks fed with 1.0 and 1.5 g/kg SBE displayed a significant decrease ( P < 0.05) in yolk cholesterol. The significant improvements were observed in the contents of total amino acid essential amino acids, non-essential amino acids, umami amino acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and docosahexenoic acids of eggs ( P < 0.05) when supplemented with SBE. However, the contents of total saturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids in eggs showed decrease when ducks fed with SBE diets ( P < 0.05). SBE diets may reduce ( P < 0.05) the levels of serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, while increased ( P < 0.05) the levels of serum superoxide dismutase, total antioxidant capacity, and glutathione catalase compared to the control. The levels of serum immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin A and immunoglobulin M were improved in SBE diets ( P < 0.05) in comparation to the control. The addition of SBE to diets can improve feed nutrient utilization, increase egg weight, optimaze egg quality and amino acid content in eggs, reduce blood lipids, improve fatty acid profile and yolk cholesterol in eggs, and increase antioxidant capacity and immunity in laying ducks.
Journal Article
Effect of Copoly(Ester-Amide 6)(PET-PA6) on Compatibility of PET/PA6 Blended Fibers
Significant improvement of compatibility in PET/PA6 blends is essential to obtain fibers having enough mechanical strength as well as the comprehensive performance. In this article, copoly (ester-amide 6) was used as compatibilizer to improve the compatibility of PET and PA6. Three copoly (ester-amide 6) s with 5, 10% content of PA6 were prepared by co-polymerization from PTA , EG, as well as PA6 or caprolactam (A6), i.e. polyamide was incorporated both in the form of polymer and monomer, respectively. The sequence length of PET in the copoly (ester-amide 6) s is 33.4, 16.5 and 38.4 for PET-PA6-5%, PET-PA6-10% and PET-A6-5%, respectively, calculated by 13C NMR. Then PET/PA6 blend fibers were fabricated by melting spinning of PET and PA6 with 20 %wt addition of PET-PA6-5%, PET-PA6-10% and PET-A6-5%, respectively, to explore the effect of copoly (ester-amide 6) s on compatibility of PET/PA6 blend fibers, where the mass ratio of PET and PA6 is 85/15. DSC results show that the crystallization peaks of PET and PA6 during cooling from the blend melt become adjacent each other with increasing addition of copoly (ester-amide 6) s, even forming fused crystallization of them. It was found from SEM that the size of PA6 phase decreased and the phase boundary became indistinct due to the presence of copoly (ester-amide 6) s. Further more, the glass transition temperatures (Tg) of PET and PA6 closed to each other based on DMA result. Among these three copoly (ester-amide 6) s, PET-A6-5% display the best effect on the compatibility of PET and PA6 blend fiber, suggesting copoly (ester-amide 6) s could play important role in raise the compatibility of PET and PA6 blend.
Journal Article